In His Shoes
by AvocadoLove
Summary: In order to fully understand a man, you must first walk a mile in his shoes. Sokka and Zuko are going to find that out the hard way.
1. The Great Switch

**Authors Note:** You know how sometimes you're in the middle of writing something completely different and a plot bunny sneaks out and attacks you, and you have to stop and write it down before it eats your brain? That's what's happened here. I hope you enjoy it!

Takes place during the time of **The Tales of Ba Sing Se**

* * *

** OOOOOOOOOOO**

* * *

The air was warm and dry, the cat-birds were singing, Yue had risen mid-morning in all of her glory, and Sokka had a few spare coins in his pocket that were just begging to be spent.

All in all it was the start of a good day.

Sure, things could be better. He could have meat right now. Luckily, that was one thing he planned on fixing.

It wasn't often Sokka traveled down to the lower rings of Ba Sing Se. Katara would throw a fit if she knew, but Sokka was bored with wondering around the upper rings. The people there were all so… above everyone else. The girls hid behind their expensive fans and giggled to each other whenever he walked by, and the shops were way too expensive and exclusive to do any real meaningful shopping. He just wanted to be among real people for a change, and not royal wannabes.

Sokka cast a quick glance up at the sky where the moon rested, faded but full in the sunlight. "Not that royals are all bad," he murmured with a quirk of a smile across his wide mouth. "You were special, Yue."

Maybe it was his imagination, but he thought that he saw the briefest hint of a shadow cross the moon's features. Almost as if she was winking at him.

Almost the moment he stepped foot off the trolley and into the lower ring, he felt himself relaxing. It was crowded and loud here, and the air was heavy with the scent of people and food. Merchants were barking out for sales from every direction.

Sokka took a second glance at one who seemed to be having a sale on cabbages, and quickly walked in the other direction. He didn't know if it was the same guy from Omashu, but he didn't want to take the chance.

Sokka smiled to himself again, and then turned his attention to his surroundings. He couldn't be caught out daydreaming in the while walking the lower rings. There were posters of some kind of blue masked bandit laughing out at him from nearly every wall. Someone had taken it upon himself to disrupt the "peaceful" goings on in Ba Sing Se. Sokka would have rooted for him, if he wasn't hurting innocent people.

His silver and copper pieces jingled heavily in his pocket. Alright. Now was time to get some serious shopping done.

The second that thought flashed through his mind, his eyes caught sight of a dingy looking tea shop. Normally he wouldn't have given it a second glance — tea was usually Toph and Aang's thing — but he had a sudden craving for the special kind of artic rose-thorn brew that his Gran Gran used to make. This was Ba Sing Se… they probably had exotic flavors from all over the world.

He was reaching out for the door handle when the door suddenly flew open as if kicked by the other side. He caught only a flash of a scowling mouth and a large reddened scar before they collided.

"Ow," Sokka grumbled, rubbing his forehead. He glanced at the other teen… and then froze.

Prince Zuko… the angry freak with a ponytail (only it looked like he had finally ditched that horrible look and grew his hair out a little) was staring at him, his good eye widened in shock.

"What are you doing here?!" Sokka demanded, nearly outraged. He thought he was going to have a good day!

The angry firebender just opted for a surlier growl of, "You!" before he reached behind his back, and with a zing of metal, brought his Dao swords to bare.

Sokka ducked to the side, avoiding Zuko's first wild slash. He felt as if his mind was going at a million miles an hour. He should run, get Aang and the others and come back to take care of this menace. Ba Sing Se was a place for Earth Kingdom refugees, not firebenders… and how had Zuko managed to track them down here, anyway? Didn't the guy ever give up? They should have left him to freeze at that stupid cave in the North Pole. Maybe Yue would be alive…

As he scrambled to the side to avoid another swing, Sokka's fingers closed on a long piece of metal, a crowbar left over from some construction project next door to the teashop. Inwardly, he grinned and when Zuko struck at him again, he met his swords with the heavy steel bar, the impact jarring both teens to the bone.

He had just a moment to enjoy the look of shock and rage on the firebender's face, before Sokka went on the attack. He jumped to his feet, swinging widely — not really in an attempt to hurt, but mostly to give himself some space so he could think. One of his wild swings ended luckily, catching the Angry Jerk in his left arm with a sickening crack.

Zuko cried out, dropping the left sword, his arm hanging limp and useless at his side. Sokka jabbed with the crowbar again to back his enemy up a step, and then scooped up the dropped sword. Suddenly, they were on equal footing.

For a moment the two glared at each other, neither one noticing that Iroh had come to the door and was watching the duel warily, and both very much aware that they could throw down their weapon and walk away from the fight without any more bloodshed.

Blue eyes met amber, both hardened against one another.

"You good for nothing watertribe peasant." Zuko growled.

"Stupid firebender." Sokka shot back.

And the swords met again with a loud clash that echoed down the streets of Ba Sing Se.

Zuko knew that he had made a big mistake in underestimating his enemy. His left arm was broken, he could feel the pain like a stabbing knife with every move. Setting his jaw, he forced himself to ignore the arm, concentrating on the task at hand, even as his mind was reeling. If the watertribe boy was here, it meant that the Avatar would be close by! He had thought he had lost his chance — he had even started to accept his new life as a tea server, but now… yes now he would make sure he would win duel and then _make_ this stupid peasant tell him where the Avatar was.

He just hadn't counted on the watertribe boy having any skill. Zuko hurriedly parried a halfway decent thrust, feeling the loss of the left sword. Dao were meant to be used as a pair, and he knew he was handicapped by only having one.

But at the same time he was a Prince and had the benefit of years of weapons training, while this barbarian only had his snowy wastelands to hack at. Zuko felt a ghost of a smile cross over his scarred features. He stepped forward, going on the offensive with a flurry of faints and real jabs meant to overwhelm his opponent and confuse him into making a mistake.

It worked, mostly. The peasant couldn't keep up, but just when Zuko swung a finishing blow meant to disarm, the peasant jumped up to a nearby bench… and suddenly he had the advantage of height.

Zuko swung upwards in a wide arc that jarred his broken arm badly. He gasped, hunching over the sudden pain and had to fall to his knees to avoid the peasant's return attack, the blade only a hairs breath away from his face. Zuko returned it with a slash, viciously aiming for the peasant's knees, and forcing him to jump back down.

In the background he could hear his Uncle yelling… something. The exact words were lost in the heat of combat, but the meaning was clear. He couldn't be caught brawling in the streets again… the Dai Li were coming, he had to stop.

No. He wasn't going to stop. This might be his last shot.

This had to end. Now.

Once again, his and the peasant's eyes met and this time Zuko could see the same steely determination he felt echoed on the other boy's face. Before, their fighting had been serious. Now, it was deadly.

"I won't let you hurt them anymore." The other boy, said.

"And I won't let you get in the way of my destiny." Zuko replied, even as a treacherous voice in his mind asked him which destiny he wanted. One of the Prince, or of Lee?

The swords met again, for the final time because the peasant's inexperience finally got the best of him: when the boy backed up to swing again, his foot caught the crowbar, lying forgotten in the dust.

The peasant threw out his other arm for balance, but fell to the ground anyway.

Zuko allowed himself a split second to savor his victory — before he thrust downward, intending to hold the point to the peasant's neck.

He didn't count on the peasant's vicious kick to this thigh, and he didn't intend to lose his own balance, making his sword go wide. The sharp edge cleaved into the peasant's chest, opening a mortally large gash. Zuko caught a horrible flash of blood and bone before he came crashing down on him. A horrible lancing pain shot straight through his stomach, right out his back…

Sokka's sword had impaled him straight through, even has Zuko's sword slashed him from chest to belly.

Zuko could hear his uncle yelling, words mixed into the peasants last gurgled breaths under him… and it didn't hurt as much as it did a just few seconds ago. He was already feeling a little numb… felt like he was floating…

The world first took on a pallid shade of fuzzy gray, and then grew dark around him.

* * *

**OOOOOOOOO**

* * *

Sokka woke up.

Only it didn't feel like he was waking from normal sleep. It was as if he were a small flame that had blinked out, only to be rekindled by a powerful hand.

Not that he really wanted to think about fire or firebenders for that matter.

Blinking in confusion, he sat up and put a hand to his chest. He was whole, tunic and flesh back to normal as if it never had been cut. How…?

A muffled sound to his right got his attention, and he saw that the Angry Jerk was sitting next to him, a hand to his own stomach which was also whole and unblemished.

"You… you killed me." Zuko said. There was a mix of awe and shock in his voice.

"Hey, that's only because you killed me!" Sokka yelped, indignant. "At least," he paused, a hand still to his chest, feeling his own heart beat. "I think I died."

Zuko's left hand shook as he flexed his arm, testing what was once broken. "I think I did too."

"Then how—"

"'How' isn't really what you should be asking yourself, Sokka," said a melodious voice, "You should be asking 'why'?"

Suddenly he and Zuko were no longer the only ones in this strange blank nothingness. A beautiful white haired young woman, in glowing white dress stood in front of him. To her side stood a stately dark haired man clad in orange robes, his hair in a royal topknot in the fire nation style.

"Yue!" Sokka gasped. He stood up, intending to go over and give her a hug, but something in the way she held herself made him pause. She stood straight and tall with her hands tucked into her robes, her lips pressed into a thin line.

Zuko, on the other hand was bowing so low that his forehead touched the floor. "My Lord."

"Sokka, how could you?" Yue's voice, always full of laughter and a strange type of wisdom as Sokka knew her in life, was filled with disappointment. "What did you think you were doing, starting a fight in the middle of the street?"

"Hey!" Sokka pointed at the still bowing prince, "he started it!"

"I did not!" Zuko looked up, and seemed to decide that he was no longer required to bow. Rising to his feet, he clenched his fists. "You were the one who ran into me!"

"And you were the one who have ignored your Uncle's good wisdom time and time again, young prince?" The orange-robed man said. Sokka didn't know how he knew, but this had to be Agni the sun spirit. "How many chances have you been given to redeem yourself?"

Zuko shot Sokka a venom filled look. "I have tried to capture the Avatar—"

Agni cut him off with a wave of his hand. His next words were terrible, rolling over the both of them like licking flames. "Do you truly believe it is my wish for you to capture the reincarnated spirit of the planet and throw the entire world out of balance? Tell me that you are not that great of a fool."

Zuko winced and ducked his head. "Then it was my destiny to work in a teashop? Be a nobody?"

"Wait, you worked in that teashop?" Dawning realization hit Sokka full on, and he didn't know if he should laugh or be horrified. "I thought that you were chasing us again. You know, like you have been for the past four months!" he glanced at Agni, wanting to drive home the fact that his subject was an angry jerk, and that he deserved to be yelled at.

He noted with satisfaction how the unscarred side of Zuko's face blushed with embarrassment. "Well if you didn't kick my leg out from under me like some kind of untrained barbarian, we wouldn't be here. I wasn't trying to kill you!"

"How was I supposed to know that?!" They were sniping at each other right in front of the Sun and Moon spirit. A small part of Sokka's brain was telling him that this might not be such a good idea, but he was too incensed to care. "Every time I've ran into you in the past you were an angry sadistic jerk! You're fire nation, and you were going for my neck. What was I supposed to do?"

"You were supposed to submit in honorable combat!" Zuko's pale cheek was flushed bright now, and he took a step forward, looking like he wanted to hit the other boy. "But I suppose you don't even know what honor is. Watertribe." He spat it as if speaking a curse.

"SILENCE!" Agni's command stopped their argument right in its tracks, although both boys glared at each other. Sokka curled his hand into a fist and realized it was shaking. They were about to come to blows again. Right in front of the spirits.

Agni swept an imperious look over the both of them before turning to Yue. "Fire and water do not mix well. He," a long finger pointed at Sokka, "is a companion of the Avatar, yet he cannot see past his own prejudices." Now the finger pointed to Zuko, "And his heart and mind are so separated he would be the last I would choose to bring this world back to balance."

Yue's face saddened. She looked like she wanted to agree. Sokka's heart caught… he didn't mean to make her lose her faith in him. "I'm… sorry," he said, directing the apology at (just to be sure that Angry Jerk didn't think it was meant for him), "I just thought… the fire nation took my mother away from me, and you'd still be alive if it weren't for Zhao."

She turned her sad gaze to him. "I had to return what was borrowed. It was my fate to become the Moon spirit." She stepped forward, and for the first time touched Sokka, a brush of a hand across his cheek. "Don't worry for me. I feel most sorry for Aang, Katara, and Toph… your fight cost them all, even if they don't know it yet."

There was a strange look on Zuko's face, almost as if he was about to sneeze. It took Sokka a moment to realize that it was sadness, even regret. "What's going to happen to my Uncle?" he asked, looking to Agni. "I didn't think… I didn't mean to get killed."

"You didn't think." Agni repeated, his voice chilly despite being the Sun. "Why does that not surprise me? Your Uncle just watched his nephew died a murderer right in front of his eyes. How do you think he will fare?"

Both boys stared at each other. Murderer. They had both killed each other. But… that couldn't be right, could it? Instantly, both launched into denial.

"He was coming at me with his sword! It was this big!"

"He broke my arm, and I couldn't catch my fall!"

"Hey, you were the one who pulled out your swords first."

"You were bursting into my teashop!"

"I was not!"

At once both boys looked to their respective elemental spirits and pointed fingers at each other.

"IT WAS HIS FAULT!"

Agni looked too stately of a man to throw up his hands and roll his eyes, but that was exactly what he did, and turned to the Moon spirit. "Impossible. These two are too wrapped up in their own pettiness to see the truth. They are too much alike for such opposite elements."

Yue was silent for a moment before she spoke, "There is a proverb in my own tribe. 'In order to fully understand a man, you must first walk a mile in his shoes.'"

"Then… that way, if he gets angry, he'll be a mile away, and barefoot?" Sokka guessed, and ignored Zuko's sudden snort of laugher. He didn't know the evil firebender could laugh.

But Agni seemed to be interested now. He tugged at his long dark beard in consideration. "That may work, Yue. It would grant them a second chance like you wanted, and it would serve my purposes as well."

Yue smiled that gorgeous completely open smile that never ceased to melt Sokka's heart. "Then it is decided."

"Wait, what's been decided?" asked Sokka, glancing from one spirit to another. He wasn't sure if he should dare to hope… he would get a second chance?

Zuko shot him another glare. "Shut up. Don't question the spirits!"

"Oh, you're one to talk."

"You will be sent back after all." Agni's voice broke above their renewed bickering. "But your positions shall be switched. If you are wise," and his expression told them that he seriously doubted they were, "you will glean some wisdom from this experience. But I will give you this one warning… no mortal soul is to find out what has happened, or I will bring my wrath upon you myself."

"We can't have everyone wanting second chances." Yue clarified, with a serene smile.

There was a moment of silence as each wrestled with what they just had been told, and what it meant for them.

"Wait, wait, wait!"

"What do you mean?"

"I'm not evil enough to be him!"

"How long is this going to be for?"

Agni and Yue just smiled, and the world went dark again.

* * *

**OOOOOOOOOO**

* * *

Sokka woke up again. This time it was for real, because he could still feel the sweet embrace of unconsciousness still at the corner of his mind. He felt sweaty and sick, and his arm hurt like hell.

He was being smothered… no… he was being held, a scratchy beard tickled his face and wet teardrops fell onto his neck.

"Zuko…" said an aged voice above him, "Oh, my nephew…"

He stirred, instinctively trying to push away the arms so he could breathe, so he could think. Immediately the body above him stilled and pulled back… and Sokka was looking into the golden eyes of that one General guy who had helped them in the North Pole.

"How?" The General whispered, touching a hand to Sokka's cheek, and then suddenly Sokka was pulled into a crushing embrace again.

Reluctantly, unsure of what to do or how to think, he returned it. The man was crying, after all.

Then, looking over the old General's shoulder he saw something that made his newly beating heart skip a beat. He saw himself sitting there, as if looking in a three dimensional mirror, staring wide eyed back at him.

"No…" Zuko whispered, in Sokka's voice, and before Sokka could do anything he got to his feet and ran off.

* * *

**OOOOOOOO**

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_Iroh AKA "That one old General guy" copyright Sokka 2008. All rights reserved._

_lol._

_What do you think? Should I continue this crazy story? Did you like it? Anything I missed? Let me know!_

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	2. The Moral Compasses

**Authors note:** Thanks SO much for the reviews. I was really shocked and pleased by the amount of people who said they liked it and put it on alert and fav lists. I'm going to continue this fic, and I have some pretty good ideas of the general direction of the theme. So… thanks again! My responses to each review are at the bottom of the page.

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**OOOOOOOOO**

* * *

Zuko ran as fast and as hard as he could.

He couldn't think, couldn't breathe… he had just seen his uncle crying over his body. His body.

His feet pounded the stone passageways and alleys. His hand reached up to clutch at his own heart. No… oh Agni… his body was not his own…

… and Uncle's broken voice, the way he had been holding what he thought was his nephew…

A sharp stitch in his side made him slow down. Finally he came to a stop in a deserted space between two large buildings. Gasping for breath, Zuko looked tanned hands which weren't his own, and examined a chest that should have been slashed wide open, but was whole and unblemished. Only the ridiculous blue tunic hung cut open, as if a reminder. Even the world around him looked different. Bright colors were muted into a more somber tone, but for the first time he could see a clear difference between dark blue and black.

He wanted to laugh, he wanted to weep. He did a little both, hidden in the safety of the building's shadows.

_This couldn't really be happening, could it?_ It seemed only seconds ago that had been working another long shift in the tea shop, minding his own business and counting the hours until freedom. Then the fight, and then…

… he couldn't remember.

He knew he had talked with the spirits of the Moon and Sun, and had remembered their disappointment and final judgment, but the details of the conversation were slipping away from his mind faster than he could hold onto. It was like trying to hold water in his hands, and having the droplets escape down between his fingers.

No. Now was not the time for water metaphors.

Zuko leaned against the side of the building, and let out a bark of a laugh which came out nearly hysterical.

_Calm down, Zuko. _He told himself, firmly._ Now is not the time to panic._

Automatically, he fell into the breathing patterns he had been taught virtually since he learned to walk. It was meant to calm the fire inside, and even though he wasn't the best at practicing it, it had always helped— except now. Now, instead of feeling his inner fire warm his blood and calm his spirit, he felt… nothing.

Realization struck him, and it was with dawning horror that he punched a fist out, and nothing happened at all.

_Stupid peasant,_ came a nasty unbidden thought which sounded a lot like his old voice, _watertribe can't firebend._

* * *

**OOOOOOOOO**

* * *

Sokka stared at the bizarre sight of himself running away down the street… and felt strangely numb about it.

"Let him go, Nephew." The aged General advised, leaning back and wiping his eye with the corner of his sleeve.

Sokka's gaze fell on the Dao swords lying fallen and forgotten in the dust. Both were soaked from blade to handle in sticky blood from two different boys. Sokka's hand fell to his chest, but the gaping hole that should have been there was gone as if it had never happened. The only reminder left was a cut of fabric in the apron and tunic.

He could feel the General's steady gaze on him, and when he met it he saw that the older man's mouth was set in a grim line. "This could only be the work of Spirits, Zuko. Make no mistake, you were dead."

"I—" Sokka stopped himself in time, opting instead to just mutely shake his head. He had just about to tell him not to call him Zuko.

The General either knew more than he was letting on, or he was used to having his "nephew" not explain himself to him. Either way, he let it go, and getting to his feet, leant a hand to Sokka to help him up.

The act of standing drew a sharp pain in his left arm along with a wave of nausea. Sokka gasped, holding the limb it to his chest, and remembered with irony the flash of triumph he had felt when his crowbar had hit Zuko's arm.

Damnit.

"Ah, it looks as if the Spirits had decided to not heal everything," said the General, with knowing wisdom, "perhaps as a reminder not to start brawls in the middle of your work shift."

"He started it!" Sokka yelped, "I mean I—you know what I mean."

The General looked at him, really looked at him, and for a moment Sokka felt a flash of fear. Had he already screwed up?

Then the moment had passed, and the old man gave a nod. "I'll have a talk with Pao about letting us off shift early. You need to have that arm looked at. Wait right here." His tone indicated no argument.

* * *

**OOOOOOOOO**

* * *

Night was closing in, and not only was Zuko thoroughly lost, he had no idea where he was going to sleep, or how he was going to eat. An unseasonably cold breeze blew by, making him shiver and cross his arms, glancing up at the sky. The moon was resting halfway upon the horizon, glowing brighter by the moment.

He stared at it for a long time, trying to recall half forgotten details of the beautiful young woman who had stood by Agni in the Spirit World. Somehow, standing in the strengthening moonlight, and thinking of her… he felt slightly better.

Still cold, but slightly better. How was he even going to keep warm without his fire?

"There you are!"

Zuko was lost in his thoughts, and had tuned out the voices of people around him. He let out a long sigh, thinking of Uncle and wondering what he was doing now — and if he was okay. Surely, the watertribe peasant had taken off as Zuko had. He would have known that he couldn't fool The Dragon of the West. Uncle… he'd be heart broken. Maybe he should go back.

Yeah, and what? Have a cup of tea with him? He was a stranger to Uncle now.

"Hey!"

Zuko didn't realize how much that though would hurt, but it cut him deep… like the way Sokka had been cut.

"Hey Snoozles, wait up!"

A rough hand grabbed his elbow, and Zuko started in surprise, whipping around with one palm out and fist cocked — a basic firebending stance.

Only instead of an enemy there stood a little girl, roughly a head shorter than himself. Dark black locks obscured most of her face, but he could see her mouth set in a thin stubborn line. "What do you want?" he snapped, and then winced as Sokka's voice cracked.

"What crawled up your butt and died?" the girl demanded, placing her hands on her hips. Zuko realized that she knew him — er, knew Sokka. "So you went to the lower rings, big deal. If you didn't notice," she smirked, "I'm here too."

The girl was looking at him, but at the same time, not looking at him. Relaxing his arms, Zuko peered closer. Night's darkness was really falling now, but thanks to Sokka's superior night-sight he could clearly see the milky film covering what should have been bright green eyes. He only had a vague memory of seeing her before, during the fight with Azula in the desert ghost-town. She had earthbent, but he hadn't realized then that she was blind.

"You shouldn't be here." Despite his better nature, he found himself annoyed that the so-called Avatar would allow a little blind-girl to wander the dangerous lower rings. He had lived here for a few weeks, had traveled around the dark alleys as the Blue Spirit. He knew better than most what crept out of the shadows at night. "It's—"

"Dangerous?" she finished, as if reading his mind. "Pul-lease." Suddenly, her demeanor changed, and she jabbed two fingers into his chest, hard enough to make him step back. "Look, I'm just as bored as you are in those snooty upper rings, and you're here too, so you can't talk. Besides," again, the grin was back, "I won't tell Sweetness if you won't."

Zuko let out a breath he wasn't aware he had been holding. "Fine." He wondered who Sweetness was, but it didn't matter. Suddenly, as if clouds lifted from his mind, he realized that he was being presented with an opportunity. This girl knew "him", and probably traveled with the Avatar. If he could somehow integrate himself into their group he could have his best shot at capturing the Avatar.

A strange feeling nagged at the back of his mind, some half forgotten memory. Something about what Agni had said… but now he couldn't remember.

"I hate these walls." The girl grumbled.

"Yeah," Zuko was only half-listening, still deep in his own thoughts. "It feels like this place is a prison, sometimes."

The girl suddenly turned towards him, a wide knowing smile on her face. "I told you you'd get tired of it in a few days."

"Do you, ah, think you're ready to go back home?" He asked, going out on a limb and assuming that the little blind girl even knew how to get back. She had somehow gotten herself down here, and found him. He had to give her a little bit of credit. "I'm so hungry I could eat a boar-bear." And that was the honest truth. It felt like his stomach was trying to eat a hole out his back. He hadn't remembered being this hungry in… well, probably before he was banished. After that, he had lost appetite for pretty much everything except reclaiming his honor.

To his relief, she laughed. "Snoozles, you're always hungry!"

* * *

**OOOOOOOOO**

* * *

Sokka followed the aged General into what he could only a small, dingy apartment. He looked around, noting once again how strange and bright the world looked through stupid Zuko's stupid eyes, yet he couldn't seem to pierce the shadows as well as he used too, or tell the difference between most dark colors.

Colorblind. Great.

He half expected to see red flags strung up here and there, or maybe some Fire Nation propaganda flyers laying around. But the walls were an old shade of avocado green, and sparsely decorated with generic flowery landscapes painted on bamboo wood.

It made sense. These people had to lay low for whatever they were planning.

Sokka flexed his good hand into a fist. His left arm had been hung into a sling, courtesy of the old General. The arm was definitely broken, and it would take weeks to mend.

It could have been worse. It _had_ been worse.

As soon as the door closed behind them, the General turned to face him. "Zuko," he said, using what he thought was Sokka's real name for the first time in hours. Before, he had called him "Lee", apparently Zuko's alias here. "Do you want to tell me what happened in the Spirit World?"

Sokka jerked in surprise. He couldn't remember much of the conversation in the Spirit World (probably because, as the General said, he _had_ been dead), but he did clearly remember the Sun Spirit's words of warning that no mortal was to find out what had been done. "Oh, uh, you don't believe in that kind of stuff, do you?" he forced a laugh which sounded downright horrible coming from Zuko's lips, "Maybe you… er… saw wrong?" Yeah, maybe he didn't see Sokka's own chest slashed to the bone, or the sword poking six inches out of Zuko's back…

The General took a step towards him. Sokka tensed up, expecting a smack across the face (who knew how these fire nation people disciplined their kids; just look at Zuko's face — his face) but to his surprise the old man just laid a warm comforting hand on his shoulder. "You know I have some experience with the Spirit World, Nephew. Whatever wisdom they imparted to you, and why they decided to bring you and that boy back to the physical world is ultimately between you and them." He smiled, gave a pat to Sokka's shoulder, "But if you ever want to talk about it, I'm here."

"I… thank you," he nearly choked out the next word, finding it alien on his tongue, "Uncle."

Zuko's Uncle smiled. "I could use some tea. Would you like a cup?"

He couldn't help but wince. Wanting a drink of tea was what got him into this whole mess. "No thanks." Sokka spied a doorway leading to what he hoped was the sleeping area. "I think I'll just go, uh, in there. I'm pretty tired, you know, dying and all..."

"As you wish, Nephew."

Sokka beat a hasty retreat to the sleeping room. He needed a chance to think, to breathe. He didn't know why the old man was being so weirdly nice to him. Sokka vaguely remembered the General always accompanying Zuko while the evil Prince had been chasing them north. Sokka had even met the old guy and had met him once at the Spirit Oasis. Of course, he sort of had a lot of other things on his mind at the time, like rescuing Aang from Zuko, and the horror when Admiral Zhao captured and killed the Moon Spirit… and Yue…

But he did remember the General, and his terrible wrath as he yelled down at Zhao, "Whatever you do to that Spirit I'll unleash on you ten-fold! LET HER GO!"

Now the General seemed to be the picture of a doddering old man. Was it an act? Was he just glad that he hadn't lost his "nephew"? The Fire Nation wasn't interested in families. Sokka knew this for a fact. They were interested in breaking them apart.

Sokka found a couple of spark rocks, and lit a lamp. Later on, he would wonder why Zuko and his uncle had sparking rocks at all when they could make their own flames, but now he was too shaken to care.

Next to one of the pallets lay a small mirror. Picking it up, Sokka stared for a long minute at the unfamiliar face which looked back. He raised his hand, touched the giant reddened scar and then shuddered, rubbing his fingertips quickly together as if to forget the sensation of tough flesh. One eye was set in a permanent glare, the vision disrupted slightly on the top and bottom. The other looked normal, yet yellow and alien. Zuko's nose was sharper than his own, his cheekbones higher and more prominent, but his teeth were whiter and more even.

Sokka turned his head this way and that, giving himself a good examination. He made a couple of faces into the mirror, and watched Zuko's face make them back; pulling his features into a wide goofy grin, then the familiar angry scowl that he had personally seen so much in the past.

It all would have been hilarious if it wasn't so serious.

* * *

**OOOOOOOOO**

* * *

Zuko and the girl walked to the monorail station, or rather, he _followed_ the girl to the monorail station. Even blind, the little earthbender didn't seem to have any difficulty navigating the streets and avoiding people and objects.

As closely as Zuko looked he couldn't quite figure out how she was doing it. He wanted to know, especially if this was a skill that he himself might learn, but knew it would be foolish to ask, so he stayed silent.

Which brought up another big problem. He didn't know much about the Avatar's companion's personal lives. Back when he had been on the active hunt for the airbender, he had been focused solely on his movements, and anticipating where he would show up next. He didn't care what his little friends liked, or what they talked about, or their names…

It was would be very easy to slip up.

Before, he had thought that he had been sent back in the water-peasant's body as a punishment. He saw the truth, now. It was a gift. A gift, and probably a last chance to redeem himself. He had exercise patience, and wait for the right moment, because there would only be one shot at this. The Avatar and his friends would never suspect that the stupid water-idiot with a misshapen head was actually a wolf-cougar in koala-sheep's clothing.

It was a short trip on the monorail, passed in what he knew was rapidly becoming uneasy silence. Zuko laced his fingers together, twiddled his thumbs and looked around. "So… what were you doing in the rings anyway? I mean, ah, before you found me?" Maybe if he got her to talk, she would reveal some details.

The earthbender turned her head towards him, her eyes eerily blank even as a small smile twitched the corner of her mouth. "Are you sure you want to know?"

Despite himself, a myriad of scenario's flashed in front of his eyes, most of them being things that little girls definitely _should not_ be doing.

He didn't say anything, but somehow she somehow seemed to read the expression that must have been on his face for she barked out a laugh, swinging her feet back and forth merrily under the bench.

"Relax, Snoozles. I can handle myself. Earth Rumble Six, remember? I was just playing a friendly game with those guys who play in front of the alleyways. They don't think anything of "a little helpless blind girl"" Her voice took on a falsetto and quiver on the last words.

"You mean, those scam artists?" Zuko repeated, in equal parts disgust and astonishment. "How much did you lose?"

"Lose?!" Now it was her turn look disgusted, and a moment later a large and heavy money bag fell into his Zuko's lap.

"I am the greatest earthbender in the world," said the girl, simply. "I don't lose."

He hefted the thing into one hand, eyebrows shooting up at the weight. He had only seen money like this once before after his banishment, when he had gotten a lucky target as the Blue Spirit. It had been a simple carriage robbery, and looking back he knew that it could have gone very wrong. The wealthy merchant could have had bodyguards inside of the carriage instead of just on the outside.

The monorail was shuddering to a halt. He handed back the sack into her little hands, and felt a stab of something very much unwanted in his heart. He shouldn't care. He barely did. Still… "That's great."

"Really? You think so?" The monorail had stopped and she got to her feet.

Zuko followed her example, figuring that this was their stop. "Yeah, I really do. One thing I've learned recently is when you have a gift you need to use it, because the world isn't always a nice place to be. You have to take every advantage you've got, or be run over."

"Wow," she blinked, "That's pretty dark, Sokka."

He shrugged, and then remembered she couldn't see him do it. "It is what it is. But promise me next time you'll take someone along, okay?" He saw her open her mouth to protest, and he cut her off, "Look, I know you said you can take care of yourself, but there's nothing wrong with letting anyone help you too."

Almost the second he said it, he realized that he had screwed up. It was the type of things Uncle would say, and honestly Zuko didn't care one way or another what happened to her.

Sure enough, she stood rooted in her spot, her lips curved into an 'o' of surprise.

"What?" Zuko asked, trying to cover his mistake. "Isn't this our stop?"

The little girl visibly hesitated a moment more, then shook her head as if to clear it. "'Course." Again, she punched him in the shoulder (and in the same exact spot, too. He'd probably have a bruise in the morning). "I just didn't know you cared so much."

They were exiting the station and he paused on the final step down to the road, turning to look back at her. "… Is it bad that I care?" Was she already suspicious?

"No," said the girl quickly… too quickly.

For a moment, Zuko feared he was going to be hit in the arm yet again, but the girl instead ducked her head, and hurried a few steps to catch up with him.

Zuko remained quiet and followed the earthbender as they traveled along the wide, clean city alleys and bridges of the upper ring — so much different then the streets he had just left.

Up ahead, in a row of plush yet unremarkable decorated houses stood the only one in the street where the occupants were up at this late hour. Soft amber lamplight spilled out the windows, but to his relief, the earthbending girl veered right at the last moment, coming to a stop at the steps of a darkened house.

"Don't worry, they're asleep." Grumbled the little girl from his side, finally breaking the silence.

Once again Zuko shot her a look. Her head was pointed downward, she wasn't even looking at the house. "How did you know?"

"That you're worried? Your heartrate and breathing just sped up." A small smirk crossed her fingers and she gave Zuko a hard, painful punch to the shoulder. "Don't worry. I can handle the Sugarqueen, and she is your sister — she won't kill you."

Shaking his head at the irony, Zuko took a deep, calming breath and walked up the steps.

_Imagine that. A sister that won't want to kill me._

* * *

**OOOOOOOOO**

* * *

Sokka couldn't sleep.

This was really strange. He could probably count on one hand the times were he was unable to fall asleep. He had curled up in one of the sleeping pallets, and closed his eyes. That was always all it ever took; laying down and shutting his eyes and boom! Instant blissful slumber.

Sleep hadn't come.

After about an hour of laying in the dark and pretending that he was back in the house with Aang, Katara, and Toph (if he squeezed his eyes shut and imagined hard enough, he could almost hear them outside in the other room, laughing and talking quietly) the General had come in, and taken the other pallet on the other side of room.

And he had fallen asleep quickly. Sokka could hear him snoring.

Finally, he had to admit defeat. Getting up, he quietly walked into the other room, biting his lip as the door squeaked as he shut it behind him. Maybe he could take advantage of the General being out and search the apartment for evil firebender plans of ultimate takeover — or something.

But as Sokka padded into the room, he found himself drawn to the lone window. The shutters were thrown open to let in the night breeze, and the moonlight spilled in, illuminating a dull white reverse-shadow upon the floor. Sokka went to the window, rested his hands on the sill, and looked up at the bright sky.

Yue was sitting full in the sky. He could see her just over the roof of the next building over. Sokka felt a lump grow in his throat as he looked at his hands, ghostly pale and alien in the moonlight. "I don't know what you want from me," he admitted quietly and winced at his own voice — not his own. "So I'm the Angry Jerk now. Does that mean I can't ever see Aang or Toph… or Katara again? Even if Agni hadn't said — I could never explain it to them. They'd never see me — they'd just see… him." He bent his head, scrubbing at his face, and trying to ignore the feeling of the scar. For the first time in his life, he felt truly alone, cut off from his family. Even when his mother had died and his father had left for war, he had Katara. Now she would hate him…

No.

A spark of defiance flared somewhere deep within his chest.

She was his sister, wasn't she? He would make her understand. He'd tell her things of their childhood, things that only he, Sokka, could ever know. Like the time that she found the newly hatched clutch of fox-goose kittens, and had made him help her nurse them back to health, and how they had followed him around for a month straight, thinking he was their mother. Or how Gran Gran used to sing them to sleep every night, even after they had grown too old for bedtime songs.

He'd make them see past the Angry Jerk, and… well… Sokka's brain stuttered to a halt. He was the one with the good ideas, but he couldn't think of what to do. Okay, goals. Goals were good. One: He wanted this body back.

Maybe Aang could work some of his Avatar magic and talk to the Spirits and convince them that it was okay to tell them the truth and that they had to change him back. He had to help Aang save the world. That was his place. The Spirits would understand. They had too.

For the first time since visiting the Spirit world today, Sokka smiled. "Thanks Yue," he chirped, and ignored the sudden cold wind that blew past his face. It didn't matter. He had a purpose. He was going home.

Sokka made a quick search of the apartment, trying to figure out what he would need. A change of clothes; Zuko was taller by only a hair, but Sokka had wider — and more manly in his opinion — shoulders. He located a travel bag stuffed out of sight behind a chair. There was some old winterfruit in a bowl, and he snagged one, stuffing it into the bag.

His fingers hit something hard.

Curious, he opened up the pack and walked to the moonlight to examine the contents. To his surprise there was already a change of clothes in there. Black clothing, perfect for sneaking around at night.

Then he pulled out the mask.

* * *

**OOOOOOOOO**

* * *

Do Toph and Iroh suspect the truth? Will Sokka find his way back to the gang and be all like, "Hai guys! I'm not evil anymore!"?

Stay tuned…

Oh, and if you're wondering what happened to the sword that was embedded in Zuko's body, Iroh pulled it out while he was in the Spirit World (conveniently enough). I wrote a little thing on it, but I'm pretty sure it would have pushed the rating to the next level, so I left it out.

And now, I'd like to take a second and respond to the ultra-cool people who reviewed.

**Minathia**: I'm glad you didn't see Sokka as too over the top. He does have some major hate and suspicion towards firebenders. I just wanted to make sure he wasn't, like, to the level of Jet. Hehe.

**Katkid**: Thanks! I'm actually having a blast making a traditionally silly concept more dramatic. I think next time I'm going to have insert your cliché ship stuck in a cave. Instead of falling in wuv they will be trying not to starve to death.

**Dutch92**: Hey, I'm really glad that you liked it! My plot bunny multiplied, so there will be lots more to come

**Bluetiger**. I agree with you on all levels. Sokka did get too much blame (Yue seems to think he should know better, while Zuko… eh, it's his nature). There's a quote somewhere out there that I read once that said something like, "It is harder for a barbarian to act like a gentleman, then a gentleman to act like a barbarian."… but Iroh is a very perceptive guy. I think Sokka will still have his hands full.

**ME:** Oh wow, thanks! blushes Thanks for the sweet words. I hope that you still liked this next part.

**3VAD127:** Sokka and Zuko are my two favs as well. I won't say any spoilers, but the most recent leaked episode are pure win. I promise there will be major Gaang/Zuko interaction in the next chapter. I couldn't include it in this one because it would have been far too long.

**StarReader86**: Freaky Friday! That was the movie I was trying to remember! Thank you! Woot! (Also, another good switching movie is The Hot Chick) Glad you liked the bickering. It was fun to write!

**Snape Goes Commando:** Oh, I know. The pairing (friendship, slash, or this weirdness) is so fun. Hey, you should check out the LiveJournal community Brothersinarms . It's full of Sokka/Zuko goodness.

**Party in the Afterlife**: Thanks! Weird is my favorite thing to do. grins Glad you liked it!

**Randomgirl**: Thanks! I'll try to keep it unique and un-clichéd. (Is that even a word?)

**JL**: Hehe. I think the next chapter will be a lot of fun where they really get put to the test with faking each other's personalities. I hope you liked Iroh in this, and thanks for your kind words.

Thanks again, everyone!


	3. Being Him

**Authors notes: **You guys rock. Seriously. Thank you so much for the both kind words and the pointers on what I missed! As always, responses to my reviews are at the bottom of the fic.

I'm a little nervous about this chapter, and to be honest it took me longer than I thought it would to get both boys in the state of mind that I wanted. That's why this one is so long. Let's see how it goes!

* * *

**OOOOOOOOOO**

* * *

The full moon had risen high over the lower rings. Her ghostly light illuminated empty streets and threw different parts of the slums in sharp relief. The Cultural Authority might say that this was the place for craftsmen and artisans, but anyone who had any delusions over what kind of place this truly was would have to come at night. Only then could they see the real lower rings of Ba Sing Se.

While the streets were more or less lighted, the hidden places between the buildings and behind merchant carts were still pitch dark. These places were no mans land; except for one furtive shadow. A young man, dressed in black, a small pack strapped to his back. He darted in and out of the corners and alleys, constantly looking around, pausing and halting in his step, and heading further and further inwards towards the city.

Sokka had figured that the city would get better the closer he moved to the second ring. He was wrong. It only got worse. Everywhere he looked was squalor, and every breath he took was of human stink.

How had he missed this? He remembered the first tour he took with the gang and Joo dee. Even then the lower rings seemed like a wild, slightly sinister place. Perhaps they had just been shown the best parts of the lower ring.

This… this was bad.

He paused mid-step, checking the street both ways for anyone around before crossing. His plan was simple — get through this bad spot as soon as possible, get back into the upper rings, and figure it out from there. This was supposed to be the easy part. He hadn't counted on getting lost, and accidentally heading in the wrong direction for an hour. Sokka was sure that he was going the right way now, but he knew he had to hurry to get to the upper rings before dawn.

Out in the distance, he could hear the wail of a hungry infant. He thought of the little family he and the rest of the gang had traveled with across Serpents Pass, and their tiny newborn baby. Where were they now? Hopefully, not in a building like this.

Stupid Fire Nation. There were so many displaced war refugees that it was just making this city worse. Maybe this place had once been for craftsmen and whatever.

_I'm going to get my body back, and then I'm going to drag spoiled Prince Zuko down to this part of the city and show him what his people have done. _See? Goals were good.

Sokka heard a noise, the sharp rap-tap of multiple feet approaching rapidly from down the street. He froze again, and ducked into the nearby shadow thrown by a crumbling edge of a building.

Three Dai Li agents strode by. Two of them had restraining hand on the shoulders of a pudgy man, his hands bound in rock manacles. It was the third agent who got Sokka's attention. He too had a prisoner, but his looked to be only about eight years old, and was a little girl, softly weeping.

"Daddy!" the little girl cried.

The pudgy man twisted around to look at the little girl, then at the agent to his left. "Please, let my daughter free. She had nothing to do with this. It wasn't her fault I couldn't pay—"

"You should be glad," replied the agent, and Sokka could see his smirk under his wide-brimmed helmet. "With her helping serve out your dept in prison, your term will be cut by at least a third."

"No!" The man's knees crumpled, apparently in grief. The two agents hauled him back up to his feet, none too gently.

Sokka had seen enough.

Looking back, he didn't really know what he was thinking. After all, he did have a broken arm still slung up to his chest. He was tired, and on edge both from a lack of sleep and the crazy day he'd had so far. But he knew he could provide a distraction — perhaps long enough to allow the man and his daughter to escape.

He hesitated only long enough to dig the mask out of his pack — the last thing he wanted to do was to be recognized with the distinctive scar, and have any trouble fall on the surprisingly nice General — then he picked up a rock, testing its weight and hefted it.

Maybe if the Dai Li were as attuned to their element as Toph was, they wouldn't have been caught unawares. Then again, Toph was the greatest earthbender in the world, and these guys were just a bunch of jerks.

The rock hit the top of one agent's head with a satisfying clang. The man cried out, and went down, and the other two turned about.

Sokka stood out in the middle of the street, laughing blue demon mask on, his unbroken arm resting casually on his hip. "Hey! Why don't you pick on someone your own size! Like me!"

"It's The Blue Spirit!" One of the Dai Li barked. Instantly, they let go of their prisoners.

Sokka turn around and ran, zig-zagging to avoid whatever earth the agents threw at him. Something whistled past his ear, and he ducked just in time to avoid what looked like a hand-shaped rock fly past his left ear. Zuko had apparently pissed a lot of these guys off using this mask, and they were out for blood.

He ducked down one side street, and then another, hearing the sounds of pursuit fall further and further behind him. Annoyingly enough, Zuko was able to run faster than he had, although his step was interrupted slightly by the fact he couldn't swing his left arm.

Then he hit a dead end.

Sokka cursed and looked about for something, anything to use as a weapon. He spied something metallic, glinting in the moonlight and leapt for it, catching the bottom rung of a fire-escape ladder in his good hand. With an upward swing and a twist that should have been impossible for him, but was very possible for Zuko, he landed on the balcony of a second-floor apartment.

Unfortunately, he was by no means alone. The lowest ring was crowded, with safe sleeping spots in scarce supply. On a semi-warm night like this, some members of large families slept on outside covered balconies.

Feeling the unusual tremor of someone landing, the young woman sat up and opened her eyes.

A demonic figure in a demon mask stared back at her, cocked his head, and spoke, "Hey… you were in that poetry club, weren't you?"

The woman screamed.

"Shhh! Shhh!" the demon put a hand to the mask's wooden lips, and tried to calm her down, holding his hands out in entreaty. "I'm not going to hurt you! Just be quiet. I'm the haiku guy, remember?"

A light came on from inside the apartment, along with a man's roar. "What's going on?!"

The young woman continued to scream, and Sokka cursed again, alighting to the rail of the balcony. He turned to the woman for the last time. "Just for the record, I totally won." Then he leapt off the railing, using the advantage of height to land on the low roof of the next building over.

"There he is!"

Sokka ignored the Dai Li's shout, and focused on keeping his balance upon slippery roof tiles. He leapt from roof to roof, occasionally throwing out his good arm for balance, searching for a good place to duck and hide.

A column of earth sprung up from the ground between two buildings in front of him, catching him mid-jump. Sokka pinwheeled his arms, but hit the column just the same. He fell hard and rolled, neatly avoiding a flurry of rock-spikes that erupted from the ground.

He got to his feet, caught a flash of at least six Dai Li rounding the nearest corner, and threw himself to the side, crashing his shoulder against a nearby door. To his relief it sprung open. Sokka ducked in and slammed the door behind him, relocking the door by throwing a heavy metal bar across its face.

He knew it would last all of ten seconds against six earthbenders, and he swung around, looking for inspiration.

Although he didn't know it, the building had housed a chic clothing store which had fallen pray to the recent hard economic times. Sokka had unwittingly stumbled on one of only a handful of buildings in the lower ring that was vacant, for not even refugees had the time to move in and take available space. It also seemed to have only one exit; the way he had just blocked.

Sokka ran to the other side wall, kicking it in pure desperation, searching for a weakspot. Nothing.

He heard the sharp crack of a splintering wooden door, sounding like an explosion.

An explosion! He was in a firebender's body, wasn't he?

Sokka didn't know exactly know what to do, of course. As a child, he had scoffed at Katara's "magic-water", and hadn't paid her the slightest bit of attention when she talked about how she did it. But desperate times called for desperate measures… and right now, he was out of options.

So, ignoring the agonizing pain in his left arm, he slammed two clenched fists against the wall, putting everything he had into the blow; all of his fear, his panic, and even his anger at being trapped in the enemies' body. He pulled from some inner core he didn't know he had, and pushed everything out in that one single strike.

The wall exploded outward with a concussive force.

But it wasn't only the wall. The explosion splintered the wooden beams around him, incinerated rock manacles that had been flying through the air towards him, and knocked back the approaching Dai Li at least fifteen feet.

The remaining walls and beams began to buckle. Sokka had just enough time to stagger out of the wreckage before it all crashed down.

Some left over instinct kicked him into a tired run. He didn't dare look back to see the horror that he had just caused.

He ducked and weaved through back alleys, aware that there wasn't an active pursuit anymore, but needing to get away. Vaguely, he was aware that somehow he had ended up nearly where he had started — only a few blocks away from Zuko's apartment. Finally, he spied a sharp staircase, and forced himself up it, coming to the top of a gravel-lined roof.

Sokka fell to his knees and stripped off the blue mask. His chest was heaving, and no matter how hard he gasped he didn't feel like he could get enough air.

He remembered, clearly, when Aang had been playing with firebending for the first time, and how he had burned Katara's hands. Sokka had been so angry then, but now he understood, at least a little, how that could have happened.

Yep. Fire was evil. It was destructive, hungry, and… well, evil.

It also took a lot out of the person generating it. He felt like an empty shell, for he had literally thrown everything he could at that wall. If a platoon of Dai Li were surrounding him right now, Sokka doubted he could even get to his feet.

For how long he sat there, feeling lethargic and numb, he didn't know. The sky lightened around him without his notice, the crescent of the sun peeking over the walls of the city.

The first rays hit the unscarred cheek, and almost without knowing why, Sokka turned his head towards it. A spark of life relit inside of him. Groaning, he made his heavy arms lift his black shirt over his head.

Sunlight hit his pale skin, and suddenly Sokka felt like he had breath back in his body again. He sat there, drinking in the rays as if it were pure energy and life.

He had heard someone, probably Katara once say, "Firebenders rise with the sun."

And now Sokka understood that, too.

* * *

**OOOOOOOOOO**

* * *

Following the explosion a few hours ago, all Dai Li agents were put on high alert, and Chun was no exception. He was eager to get rid of the Blue Spirit, and wanted peace and order returned to the city.

The sun was rising. The people of the lower rings were beginning to stir. Chun kept an eye out, all senses searching for anything out of the ordinary.

His gaze fell upon a young raven-haired man. He was standing at a merchant's stall, his back to him, and was dressed in simple green peasant's robes. But he fit the height and build of the Blue Spirit, and Chun thought he would be worth a quick look.

"You there!" he barked, and noted that the kid didn't even flinch. "Have you seen a masked man wondering about?"

The young man turned his head slightly to the left. Chun caught sight of a puckered, reddened scar covering about a quarter of his face. It looked as if the poor guy had been captured and tortured by the Fire Nation. Despite himself, Chun took a step back.

"Masked man?" repeated the young man, flashing an amused smile, "Is there a festival going on or something?"

"Don't be smart, boy. I'm talking about the Blue Spirit! He is an enemy of all peaceful loving citizens of this city."

"Ohh, that masked man." The young man's face scrunched up, accidentally highlighting the unattractive scar. It was strange how one yellow eye looked at him in mirth, while the other was narrowed in a permanent glare. "Nope, haven't seen him."

"Where are you from?"

"Actually, just down the way. I work in a teashop with—"

He was cut off by a call over the gradually thickening crowd, "Nephew!"

The boy closed his eyes and Chun could have sworn that he heard him curse under his breath before saying, "With my Uncle."

A pudgy older peasant walked up to the both of them, apparently the boy's uncle. The uncle cast a swift look at Chun, and bowed his respect before turning to his nephew. "Ah, there you are. You weren't in the apartment. I was worried."

The scarred boy hesitated, and Chun got the feeling that he had just been caught at something. "I was just getting breakfast, Uncle."

That was all well and good, but Chun was hardly interested in family matters. He had a terrorist to catch. "A pleasant day to you both." He murmured, touching the brim of his helmet before he stocked off, leaving the peasants to their morning.

Sokka held his breath as the Dai Li agent retreated and a moment later he heard the agent's sharp voice questioning another early riser. Under his stolen robes, he clutched both the mask and his dark clothing along with a couple of coppers he had found in the pockets.

Katara would be ashamed of him for stealing.

"That'll be two pieces," the merchant in front of him said, sliding a hot loaf of breed and a small wedge of cheese across his counter. He didn't look Sokka in the eyes.

Despite himself, Sokka's mouth quirked into a smile. He didn't take offence. After all, it wasn't _his _ugly face.

Zuko's uncle was still beside him, casually watching, but saying nothing. Sokka had the feeling the General knew that he had just stepped in at the right time.

He paid the merchant and nodded to Zuko's uncle to grab the food tucked the food into his robes. He wasn't hungry, not really, but he had the feeling that Zuko's uncle would be. He felt drained, and mostly at a loss of what to do. The entire night had been wasted getting away, and he didn't want to really travel the city in the daylight with Zuko's distinctive features.

"What was that about?" asked Iroh, once they were down the street.

Sokka shrugged his shoulders. "Someone blew up a building last night and got those Dai Li agent's more paranoid and angry than usual."

"That is unfortunate, nephew."

* * *

**OOOOOOOOOO**

* * *

For the first few moments after Zuko woke up, he was in blissful ignorance. He could hear a faint clank and scrape of pans and knew Uncle was up and fixing breakfast, getting ready for the day. It wouldn't be long before he would come shake his shoulder and tell him to wake up. Tea shops didn't open themselves.

Zuko rolled over, pulling the blanket over his head. Maybe Uncle would give him a few more minutes…

"SOKKA! GET UP! YOU ARE NOT MISSING ANOTHER MEAL!"

Zuko's blue eyes shot open.

Being greeted by an unfamiliar place, in an unfamiliar bed, and surrounded by unfamiliar people would startle anyone. He fought to sit up, struggling both against the weight of the strange thick blankets, and his sleep-fogged brain. "I—wha?"

His vision cleared. The water tribe girl, one of the banes of his existence, was standing before him, holding a spoon in hand as if it were a deadly weapon.

"I said, you are not missing another meal as a family." To his intense relief, she turned her glare to the little earthbender. The little girl was awake, but lounging on a nearby futon and pretending to ignore her. "Where were you two last night? I didn't even hear you come in."

"That's not a surprise. You were snoring loud enough to wake the dead," said the earthbender.

The water tribe girl shot a narrowed look the earth bender clearly couldn't see, and then turned back to Zuko. "Fine. Why didn't you at least check in, Sokka? You're the one who is always on about this weird city and how we always need to be vigilant."

Zuko hesitated, frankly at a loss of how to respond. He had planned on giving himself time to plan ahead, had wanted to use the night's darkness to think on how he was going to act around these people and especially how to get the Avatar alone. He hadn't expected just to drop off to sleep the moment his head hit the pillow.

_She's his sister_, he reminded himself, _she has no reason to suspect you._ "Look… you know I can take care of myself—"

"Oh, so you mean that the checking-in rule only applies to Aang, Toph, and I?" She waived the spoon angrily at him, and Zuko feared he was about to get rapped over the head.

"No, I—"

"So, the _great Sokka_ can go traipsing wherever he pleases? Is that what you mean?" The spoon was waving just an inch away from his nose now, and Zuko had to grit his teeth to fight the urge to snatch it from her fingers and burn it. Not that he could, anymore. "I am sick and tired of your double-standard."

"Look—"

"I'll have you know that I am a Master Waterbender, and if I have to check-in then you do too!"

He couldn't take it anymore. With a motion quick as a striking snake he snatched the spoon out of her hand and tossed it aside. "Fine! Now will YOU JUST LAY OFF?!"

There was a shocked silence from the girl, enough for Zuko to realize that he had, once again, screwed up.

"We were just out exploring, Katara." The earthbender said, breaking the uneasy silence. "He wasn't going to get into trouble. He had me around."

"You see?" Desperate to get the heat off of him, he pointed to the little girl… before his brain caught up with what she said. "Hey…"

The water tribe girl—Katara— cast them both a final swift narrow eyed look. "You two aren't invincible. Next time, check in."

The earthbender shrugged. "Whatever you say, Sugarqueen."

"Sure… Sis." It was very, very hard not to make a face while saying that. He had some very bad connections with that name.

The smell from whatever had been cooking wafted over, sweet and delicious. Zuko's stomach gave a mighty growl, causing Katara and the earthbender to giggle. Zuko glared at them both. He hated to be laughed at. But before he could say anything, Katara pointed to a small rice pot on a cooking counter across the large house. "Go ahead, but save some for the rest of us."

Zuko didn't need to be told twice. He thought he was hungry last night, but now it was almost as if his stomach was trying to gnaw a hole through his back. He stretched and got up, looking about the house for the first time. It was large and well furnished, but without the personal touches that made a home. There were some places like this back at his Palace — guest houses for honored visitors. It was a vast improvement from the small apartment he had just left, but at the same time, he wished he were back there… back in his own body, back with Uncle…

_Stop it_, he told himself firmly, as he ladled some rice into a bowl. _You have the best chance yet to capture the Avatar and fulfill your destiny. You have no right to feel sorry for yourself._

His eyes fell to a mirror across the room. The boy looking back was mostly unfamiliar to him, if not a little puffy-eyed and rumpled from sleep. It was strange how… relaxed he looked. Sokka's body fell naturally into a slouch that had been firmly schooled out of Zuko from early childhood. He began to straiten, and then thought better of it and corrected himself before turning back to the food.

"Sokka, I said leave some for the rest of us! Aang will be back soon."

Zuko glanced down, realizing he had piled the rice into his bowl without realizing it. Quickly, he spooned a little back into the pot, added some sort of bubbling fruit sauce, and walked over to join the two girls. "Where is he, anyway?"

Katara was busy brushing and replaiting her hair, but at Zuko's words, her face fell. "Searching for Appa."

Zuko had a very bad moment before he remembered that Appa was not the name of another stranger he had to deal with, but the Avatar's bison. It was missing? How did someone lose a giant flying animal? Maybe someone took it… actually, that wouldn't be a half-bad idea. Without the bison, the Avatar and his friends were stuck. He should have thought of that earlier.

He took a bite of food as he thought. It was tangy, sweet, and exactly what he needed. Yes, he had better in what seemed like a different lifetime ago at the Palace, but after three years of ship food and then Uncle's cooking, this was divine. "Hey… this is really good!"

"Always the tone of surprise." But a ghost of a smile curved Katara's lips, and for the first time Zuko realized that she was quite lovely.

And he was in her brother's body. Gah.

Bending his head down, he quickly applied himself to his food.

He was about halfway finished, and already thinking about going back for second's when the earth bender turned her head vaguely to the front door and announced, "Twinkletoes is back."

Less than three seconds later the door slammed open with a rush of wind, and Zuko set eyes on the Avatar for the first time in weeks. The kid hadn't changed much, of course. He was still the same bald, tattooed little monk with ears too large for his head. But as the Avatar stalked into the room, shoulders hunched forward and eyes narrowed, Zuko realized that something indeed had changed. The kid had been always smiling, light and airy even locked in battle. Now it was almost as if a thundercloud had entered the room.

Katara glanced at Zuko, an unreadable look on her face that probably would have conveyed some message to her true brother, but meant nothing to him. Then she gracefully stood and walked over to the Avatar. "Any luck?"

"No." His response was curt, but at the same time sad. He had been disappointed. Yet again.

"I'm sorry, Aang." There was a beat while Katara physically composed herself, laying a hand on the monk's shoulder. "Why don't you get something to eat and join us? Rice is in the pot."

"Thanks, Katara."

The Avatar did as he was told, and had soon joined them in what was becoming a silent, rather somber meal. Zuko was just glad that the reason for the dark, uncomfortable mood within the group wasn't him. If he had known how much losing that stupid bison would affect the Avatar he wouldn't have bothered with the whole necklace disaster with the pirates.

"So what's the plan today, Snoozles?" asked the little earthbender.

Zuko was in the middle of his last bite, and suddenly felt all eyes on him. He swallowed, hard. Why were they asking him? Surely this buffoon wasn't their leader…?

He racked his brain, trying to come up with something, anything. He needed to get the Avatar alone. Needed to figure out a way to catch him by surprise… "Maybe we could go out… sightseeing?" he asked, forcing his voice to be bright. "And keep an eye out for, ah, Appa? I mean, he is huge. Maybe…" Everyone was still watching him, and he himself was wondering where he was going with this. Why couldn't he ever think ahead? "Maybe we should check open spaces… like a game preserve?"

It was more a question than a statement, but the Avatar was nodding, and flashed Zuko a sudden smile. "Yeah… whoever has Appa has to keep him in a big area. He'd never fit in a house or anything."

"Exactly." Zuko leaned back, satisfied.

* * *

**OOOOOOOOOO**

* * *

"Hey Katara," Aang began, glancing up at his friend, "is something going on with your brother that I should know about?"

"Sokka?" Katara glanced for her brother and spotted him on the path just up ahead. Their search for wide open areas within Ba Sing Se hadn't been successful so far. Most of the uninhabited areas were outside the walls, and Aang had already flown over those with his glider. What they had found in the upper rings had been more like a park than a preserve – Katara didn't see any real wildlife anywhere, just orderly rows of trees and well maintained lawns. Still, they had decided to go for a walk — just in case.

She hadn't failed to notice that Sokka had been quiet all day. Katara, Aang and Toph had been joking around like they always did (even Aang fell into a better mood now that they were doing something to look for his lost friend), but Sokka's responses had been clipped and a little awkward. His expression had been closed, something that Katara had come to expect when he was thinking hard – planning ahead.

"Well," she said, after a moment's thought, "we did get in a fight earlier today. I just thought he was sulking a little."

"His heartrate and breathing have been all over the place," said Toph, from Katara's right. "I can feel it using my earthbending."

Aang looked at her. "What does it mean?"

"I don't know." Toph paused, pursing her lips, her toes digging into the soft earth. "It's… like he's really upset. Maybe he's angry, maybe he's scared, but he's trying to hide it, and he's doing a pretty good job… at least on the outside." She grinned, silently reminding her two friends that she was the best earthbender in the world, and they had been respect it.

Now all three of them were watching him. He was strolling along the path, looking unconcerned and fittling with his boomerang, examining the sharp edges. Just plain old, boring Sokka in Katara's opinion. She said as much and Toph shrugged.

"It's just what I feel. If you ask me, this stupid city has gotten to him. It's getting to all of us."

"What?" Katara paused mid-step, making Aang crash into her back with a soft 'omph'. "What do you mean?"

Toph paused and turned to her. "Just what I said: This city is bad news. Aang is all dark and moody all the time—"

"Because I'm worried about Appa!"

The earthbender stamped her foot, causing all the pebbles in a three foot radius to jump. "I _know_, but that isn't the point. Sugarqueen, your blood pressure is way up. You're stressed—"

"Only because I don't know where anyone is half the time. Anything can happen here—"

"And now Sokka's feeling it too," Toph continued, as if Katara had never spoken. "Face it. This city is bad news."

"Hey!" Sokka must have just realized that the other three had stopped walking, and had turned around, annoyed an exasperated. "What are you guys waiting for? There's a rise up ahead. Maybe we'll be able to see more of this place from the top." He looked as he always did when he was a little put out, but at the same time there was no hint of humor in his blue eyes.

Katara had seen all of her brother's moods. They had shared the darkest times in their lives. If something was bothering him, why was he shutting her out?

Maybe it was her fault. She could deny all she wanted, but Toph was right. Living in a tightly controlled city after months of freedom and a lifetime of small villages in the snowy wilderness had put her on edge. She just didn't realize how much until now. What was it doing to her brother?

Signaling that she heard him with a raised hand, she quickly turned and spoke to her two friends. "Maybe it's the city, but I know Sokka and there has to be something else bothering him too."

She would get him to open up, and she knew just the thing to get him to do it.

* * *

**OOOOOOOOOO**

* * *

"Shopping?" repeated Zuko, with a raised eyebrow.

The game preserve had been a big waste of time. There had been zero opportunity to get the Avatar alone by himself, and the more Zuko thought about it, the less sure of what he could do when he did. He couldn't count on his bending, after all. With this weak body, how was he supposed to overpower the Avatar? Eventually he had just given up for the moment and chosen to scout ahead so he could think… but no brilliant idea came.

Now, out of the preserve they were walking back to the house when the Water Tribe girl decided to get it into her fool head to make another detour. Ugh! He didn't need a detour. He wanted to meditate. He was at a serious disadvantage, and knew he needed to heed Uncle's advice for once and plan ahead if he was going to have any chance at succeeding.

"Not just any type of shopping." The infuriating Water Tribe girl said, throwing a friendly arm about his shoulders, and steering him to the right. Zuko did his best not to squirm. "Weapon shopping."

He perked up, despite himself. "Well… I guess I could use something else other than this," he said, touching a hand to the boomerang on his hip. In truth, he had no idea how to even use the stupid thing.

Ahead of them was a dazzling weapons-shop with all types of pointy objects hanging in the display windows. Katara led him right in, and then gave his shoulders a quick squeeze before letting go. "Go on. See what you like."

"Really?" He looked around, amused, and feeling strangely excited all at once. He didn't realize how naked he had felt without his bending, but with a weapon he could handle… He strode forward to the first set of shelves, reaching a hand out to examine a set of small daggers.

Behind him, Katara turned and winked to Aang and Toph. "See? I told you."

Toph crossed her arms against her chest. "Oh sure. Buy his love."

But Aang was even more excited than Zuko had been. His eyes grew wide as he stared at a giant halberd, its blade about three times the size of his head. He tugged on Toph's elbow, practically dragging his earth bending teacher over to it. "Oh wow, you gotta take a look at this!"

"I can't!" grumped the earthbender, but went along anyway.

Katara put a hand over her mouth to stifle a giggle, and walked to the other side of the shop to find what she thought was her wayward brother. She found him, holding a set of Dao swords, and examining the blades. For a moment she had a flash — a strange feeling of vertigo, but then it passed. "Ugh, you look like Prince Zuko with those things." She made a face, fully expecting her brother to look at her and laugh.

Instead he just snorted softly and waved one of the swords about as if testing its balance. "He's pretty good with these."

"Yeah, well it gives me the creeps. Besides," she smiled, "you're better."

Her shot her a quick look, almost as if he didn't believe her. He rolled his wrist, testing the right blade, then shook his head and returned them back to their rack.

Katara followed her brother as he walked slowly down the dusty isle, fingers trailing over a couple of weapons, but picking none of them up. He seemed deep in thought, his blue eyes distant. Well, now would be the time, if any.

"Sokka."

He didn't respond, choosing instead to pick up a long sword. It was old, its sheath covered in so much dust that his fingerprints left vivid marks in the cracked leather.

"Sokka."

Still not responding, he unclipped the catch and drew forth the sword. Katara knew it as a broadsword, but in her opinion, it was rather plain. What was with him? Normally he would be dashing around the store oohhing and awwing over the shiniest objects.

She tried a third time to get his attention, this time her voice was sharper. "Sokka!"

He jerked in surprise, startled. "What?"

"Like that sword, much?" Katara drawled, and only got a shrug in return. Well, this was going nowhere, fast.

"It just seems… familiar somehow," he shrugged again, still gazing at the dulled blade. "I don't know why, but I recognize it."

"Let me see." She stepped closer and bent her head down, brushing aside her hair loops so she could get a clear view. "There are inscriptions, but… they're all faded. Here, turn it to the light." She grabbed his wrist and twisted slightly so that the blade caught the far lamp in the corner. "It's… no, I can't read it."

"Neither can I."

Katara could hear Aang and Toph still on the other side of the room. They were talking animatedly, giggling over some unusual weapon or something. At least Aang was in higher spirits.

Her brother was turning away again. Now was the time, if any. She'd never get a chance to have a heart to heart in the house. "Sokka," she laid a hand on his shoulder, turning him back around, "is everything okay?"

He hesitated for the briefest of seconds before answering, "Yeah, of course."

"Right." Katara's hands fell to her hips, and she gave him her best I'm-your-sister-don't-pull-that-on-me look. "Then why have you been acting all dark and gloomy today?"

"I have not!"

"Yes you have! You're quiet and off to yourself… I miss my big, goofy brother who tells stupid jokes and makes ridiculous plans that _somehow_ always end up working." He was quiet, but Katara could tell that he was at least listening. Encouraged, she went on. "It's hard enough with Aang so upset about Appa and being stuck waiting here for the Earth King for a month. We need you, Sokka. If there's anything that's bugging you—"

"I don't like it here." He said, suddenly cutting Katara off. "You know, I— we had always heard about Ba Sing Se, but when I got here it just felt like I was closed in. I've wasted so much time here… it feels sometimes like I'll never get out. I don't know how to get out."

"You're out of ideas." Katara guessed.

"Yeah." He closed his eyes, "I guess I am."

"Sokka…" she wanted to hug him, but the way that he clutched the sword in his hands, the stiff upright way in which he stood, told her that he wouldn't welcome it. Her big brother was getting too old for hugs. "We will find Appa. No one expects you to perform miracles, but I know that when the time is right," she smiled, "you'll think of something. You'll get that idea... we will get Appa back."

For the first time all day, a smile pulled at Sokka's lips. "Thanks, Katara." He said, quietly.

She smiled back, and, feeling as if her mission was accomplished, turned to check to make sure Aang and Toph weren't making too much a nuisance of themselves.

Behind her, Zuko unsheathed the sword again. The Water Tribe girl was right. He would think of a way to capture the Avatar, and return his honor. He just needed to wait for the right time.

* * *

**OOOOOOOOOO**

* * *

Sokka awoke with a start.

He sat up on the thin pallet, chest heaving. He had been dreaming; something terrible, something about Katara, Aang and Toph being in trouble without him… but the details of the dream were fading fast, just leaving the lingering terror.

His mouth felt like a dry desert. No surprise, there. Shortly after breakfasting with the General, he had been dragged back to that tea-shop for Zuko's daily shift. On zero sleep.

It had been a disaster. For one thing, Sokka didn't know where anything was. He had never served tea to people other than family, and had only been in restaurants a couple of times in his life. It wasn't like there were any establishments in the South Pole.

He blamed what he could on the broken arm. As soon as he got off shift, he intended to make some excuse and take off to find Aang and the others… But the need for sleep finally caught up with him, and he ended up collapsing on the pallet back at the apartment.

Now it was the middle of the night and he was wide awake again.

_I should go_, he thought, casting a swift glance at the other side of the room where the General would be sleeping. He couldn't see the other man in the darkness with Zuko's stupid eyesight, but figured he had to be sleeping…

… Until he stepped out of the sleeping quarters.

Iroh was sitting traditional style in the middle of a circle of lit candles. His hands rested loosely on each knee, his eyes closed. All of the window shutters had been closed creating a lazy, smoky atmosphere inside. Sokka watched in equal parts fascination and horror as the General breathed in, and the candles around him did the same; the flames brightening and filling, until he exhaled and let them die down again.

"Nephew," the General spoke without opening his eyes, "I did not expect you to be up. Are you having trouble sleeping?"

Sokka got the feeling the old man not only knew why he was up, but he expected it. Despite the heat of the room, he felt a chill go up his spine. "My arm…" he gestured vaguely to it, even though the General's eyes were still closed. "It still hurts from yesterday."

"Pain can sometimes be a very wise teacher. Why don't you come meditate with me? It may help."

Somehow, this seemed more like an order then a request. Sokka hesitated, wanting to leave, but at the same time, not knowing how without also tipping the General off. He nodded, again, aware that the old man couldn't see him, and sat down facing the General, copying his pose, and feeling pretty stupid about it.

"All firebenders should make a regular habit of meditating. It cleanses the Chi, and it will enable you to better manipulate your element."

_I am not a firebender_, thought Sokka, _I just happen to be in the body of one._

He closed his eyes, listening to the General's calm breathing, and let his mind mull over what he planned to do next. He still intended to get out of there and rejoin the group; that hadn't changed. He just needed to figure out some way to do it without alerting Iroh and without getting himself accidentally killed by the others when he showed up. The Dai Li would be extra vigilant tonight. Sokka had seen them patrolling the streets in huge numbers all through the day, so he would have to avoid them too…

"Zuko."

Sokka peeked open one eye and saw that the General's own were still closed. "Uh, yeah?"

"You're not meditating."

"I am _so_ meditating! Wait," he opened the other eye, "how do you know?"

"Because you are not one with the fire. Here." For the first time Iroh moved. He opened his eye and with a sweeping motion, pulled the tiny candle flames from their wicks and collected them into a fireball in his palm.

Then he casually tossed it at Sokka.

Sokka did not have time to think. He could only react. His good hand shot out and he caught the fire within his fingers, just as he would a ball of snow back home.

It took everything in his power not to let his jaw drop, not to let Zuko's face reflect any amount of surprise at all. Forcing himself to be relaxed and unconcerned — _even though he was_ _HOLDING A FLAMING BALL IF FIRE IN HIS HAND _— he looked back at the old man.

Iroh was watching him, his yellow eyes hard and calculating. Sokka was suddenly very much reminded the hard General he saw at the North Pole oasis again, and knew that he wasn't sitting with Zuko's kindly tea-loving uncle. He was truly dealing with the General now. And for whatever reason, he was being tested.

"Focus on the flame in your hands. Fire is life."

_Fire is not life_, thought Sokka, swallowing hard. _Fire is death and burning._

"Close your eyes. Let it breathe as you breathe."

Sokka did as he was told, closing his eyes and concentrating on breathing. His heart was racing. He could only guess what the General would do when he figured out for sure that he wasn't his nephew. Sokka wasn't concerned about himself, but for Katara, Toph, and Aang. They thought they were safe in Ba Sing Se. They wouldn't be prepared for an angry, vengeful firebender. This guy had helped chase them all over the world… who knew what he would do…

The fire in his hand was pleasantly warm and tickled distractedly against his skin. Again, without hardly thinking about it, Sokka controlled the flame. He moved it upward a little so it rested a few inches above his palm.

He could _feel _the fire. He could feel it dance and pulse as he held it. It wanted to escape his grasp, as Sokka wanted to escape this room. Sokka took a deep, unsteady breath and felt his blood warm. The fire in his hand grew… he had it wrong. He wasn't controlling the fire in his hand — he was controlling the fire within himself.

He was the fire.

Sokka's golden eyes shot open, and stood up so fast that the fire extinguished in his hand. He had enough spooky fire magic. He was a logical guy, and furthermore he was Water Tribe. He had to be breaking at least ten ethical codes here.

"Oh wow, that was great and all but…" he made an exaggerated yawn, "I'm tired again. Thanks for the lesson."

The General was watching him very closely. "Zuko—"

"NO!" He didn't mean to snap at the old man, but when he did he saw Iroh's suspicious face relax a little. Well, he was the Angry Jerk right now, wasn't he? Time to be angry, and jerkish. "I don't need to do this! It's basic, and stupid, and _I'm fine_. Besides, what if one of the neighbors popped in on us fire bending? How would we explain that?"

Iroh gave a single nod and in that space in time the suspicious fire bender faded, and Zuko's uncle stepped forward. "It is good to think ahead, Nephew. I did not consider that. It's just—"

"I'm different recently, is that it?" Sokka had to nip this in the bud, right here. Right now. "Look, I've been going through a lot, okay? I didn't expect to just… die!" He tried for a light laugh which seemed just strangled from his lips. "Give me some time, Uncle. Please."

It seemed to be the right thing to say. Iroh stood up, a solemn figure in the circle of candles. "You're right, Zuko, forgive me. It's just… I thought I had lost again. After Lu Ten…"

"I know." He didn't, but it seemed to be the right thing to say. He wondered if he should reach out, if this was supposed to be a family bonding moment, but Iroh had turned away. "I'll… I'll be more careful. I promise." _Well_, he amended in his mind, _he was going to find a way to switch back and then make Zuko more careful._

Iroh turned to him. His eyes were wet. "Thank you, Nephew. I could not stand to lose another in Ba Sing Se."

"You won't."

Sokka wondered if he intended to keep that promise.

* * *

**OOOOOOOOOO**

* * *

Sorry about the length. Again, I just really had to get both boys in a certain frame of mind before I start introducing the real action in the next chapter. I actually rewrote the whole weapons-shopping thing to be in Katara's POV because it just didn't work when I was writing from Zuko's. Did it work or was it confusing? Was firebending!Sokka win or fail? Let me know what you think!

And thank you SO much to last chapter's reviewers. I had a really… strange week, and these reviews always put a smile on my face. You guys seriously made my day with each comment. :)

**Party in the Afterlife**: Thanks! I'm a big fan of your Toko fic, so that means a lot to me that you like this!

**Snape Goes Commando****:** IL ur comments thiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiis much. :)

**firedragon315****:** Thanks! I'm glad you liked it!

**Bluetiger****:** That was kind of my thought about the vision. Sokka's would be more attuned to black and white (because, hey, that's a lot of what he sees in the south pole) while Zuko's would be more colorful… but his night vision sucks. And you're right about the clothes. I had the thought of the blood sorta sucking back into their bodies again after they were healed, but I never explained that. I'm going to do a DVD extra's ficlet shortly that fixes it. (I couldn't have Zuko running back the house with bloody clothes. I couldn't figure out how to explain it without Katara going nuts.)

**Person:** Hehe. I hope this chapter answered your question!

**Minathia****:** You and I are on the same page about Toph. Unfortunately she's too busy being miserable in the city and crushing on Sokka to 'see' clearly. Iroh… well, I hope this chapter cleared something's up! He was very suspicious, but Sokka passed his test with firebending.

**RueBroadway****:** LOL. Oh, I know. He's a massive dork when he tries to be good anyway. They're my very favorite, too. I'm glad you liked it so far!

**Wren Sharpbeak****:** Thanks Wren! You're right about the swords now that I think about it… whoops. Maybe he just got more paranoid after the whole thing with Jet? Lol. Anyway, your thoughts really mean a lot to me, and thank you so much for sharing them!

**3VAD127****:** Woot! I hope this cleared some things up. Yes they both know that something is going on, but fortunately for Sokka and Zuko their first thoughts aren't that they switched bodies. At least not yet. Evil Grin. Thank you for your comment!

**kitkat1327****:** Thanks! Glad you liked it!

**Katkid****:** I'm really glad that came across. It's weird having to switch back and forth between sarcastic and emo-ish, but it's a lot of fun too! Thanks for the review!

**BaiMaoRieji****:** No, you are awesome. Hehe. Thanks!

**StarReader86****:** hehe. I hope you approve of Sokka's firebending prowess. Was it done alright? I could just imagine him sitting in front of a bonfire and poking it to see what happens.

**Smitti:** Thanks! I'm glad you liked it!

**KeyLee:** You liked?

**f****irebender01**: That's what I excel in. Weird, but in a good way. (At least, I hope it's good! Lol!)

**Joshrandom**: Josh, your review inspired a whole host of plot bunnies. I almost _almost_ had Zuko able to waterbend… but it just won't fit with what I had planned the rest of my story. I absolutely plan to write it out somehow, though. I'm going to be doing a ficlet soon with DVD extra's from this and that will SO be included. Thank you!

**JL**: Thanks, JL! Yeah, my whole idea is that firebenders probably see more reds and yellows then waterbenders who see better at night and blue/green. After a lifetime of seeing the way Sokka does, he just figures that Zuko must be colorblind. Hehe. And thanks for the pointers. I always end up missing something, but if you see a error, please point it out and I will correct it!

**OveractiveImagination39****:** Really? Who recommended it? I gotta thank them! I'm glad you're digging it so far. Yeah, I think they are very similar… but they'll never admit it. Lol

**Yersi Fanel****:** Yes, he will be in deep, deep doo doo. So will Sokka, actually… but I'm not saying anything about that yet. :) Thank you for your review!

You guys are all awesome. Seriously.


	4. The Lake of Revelations

**Author's notes:** Sorry about the delay. RL just kicked my butt this week, and there were three days where I couldn't even get to the computer, much less sit down and write.

Anyway, the next few segments are going to be following the show— which is both easier, and harder to write then I thought. Fear not! I will be changing up what I can. I hate rereading exact copies of the show, and I'll try to make it as interesting as I can.

* * *

**OOOOOOOOOOO**

* * *

Zuko swung the broadsword hard, landing it in the middle of the standing log. With the Avatar and the Water Tribe girl gone for the morning, he convinced Toph to help drag a log indoors so he could practice with the sword he ended up purchasing.

The blade was old, but sharp and it bit nearly an inch into the wood. Zuko raised his eyebrows and pried it loose. The sword was heavy, but well balanced in his grip. His Dao swords were to be used as one weapon, but actually using a broadsword like this required a whole different kind of fighting.

Zuko stepped right, left, and right again, checking his footwork before arcing the sword; parrying an invisible opponent's blow. No… that way would never do. There was nothing to protect his left side if he did it that way. He backed up and swung at the log again.

His thoughts drifted as he practiced.

What was Uncle up to right now? Was he doing okay? Surely Sokka hadn't stuck around, and there was no way he could show up to the Avatar and his friends in Zuko's body.

His body…

Zuko closed his blue eyes for a moment against a flash of some very unpleasant thoughts. That little Water Tribe peasant had better not be doing anything slanderous with his body.

_Clunk._ The side of the blade fell against the wood, rattling his wrist and arm to the bone.

This was his third day as the Water idiot, and Zuko found he was still getting used to how his body moved. Sokka wasn't nearly as limber, for one thing, and his body seemed to want to be in an almost permanent relaxed slouch. It was annoying, and Zuko was sure Sokka was going to have a myriad of back problems later in life.

_Whap._ The sword landed again. Zuko bit back an annoyed curse before he dug the blade out. It was hard coming up with a new technique by himself. Maybe he should enlist Aang — er, the Avatar — to help practice with him…

No, the boy didn't have the dignity that a 112 year old powerful being should have. Zuko hadn't really noticed before (mostly because he had only faced the kid in combat) but it just wasn't natural to be that playful and happy-go-lucky all the time. Zuko could just imagine what a headache it would be just to get him to take sparing seriously…

… he could imagine the hurt in his wide eyes as "Sokka" betrayed him.

Zuko grit his teeth.

He had to focus. How was he going to capture the Avatar? Getting him alone wasn't the problem. Disabling an upcoming master of three elements so far, was. How was he going to subdue him? The element of surprise would only count for so much. And then what? Bring him back to his father and explain what happened?

Zuko had a strange image of Sokka the Water peasant sitting on the fire throne with his hair combed in a royal topknot.

He felt sick.

"ARG!" He swung as hard as he could, and to his shock the sword followed through, neatly slicing the top of the log off.

He looked at his tanned hands in something akin to wonder. It was a little humbling, but Sokka's was much stronger than him… but not as fit. Zuko wiped his forehead, finding it soaked.

Time for a break.

The earthbender was relaxing on the other side of the house, teasing the annoying white lemur with rock pebbles that moved erratically along the floor whenever the animal got near. Zuko joined her, keeping a wary eye out for Aang's pet. The lemur had returned last night, and hadn't left him alone all morning; picking at his hair and trying to look into his eyes. If animals weren't so stupid, he would have thought that it knew.

Toph didn't glance his way. "Already break your log?" she asked, in an annoyingly superior voice.

"Yeah," Zuko rested the sword in his lap, turning it this way and that so he could once again attempt to decipher the inscriptions. It was no use. They were just too far gone. "Hey Toph… er… Nevermind."

"What?"

"Well…" He knew he was going to get another punch in the shoulder for this, but she had already asked so there was no backing down now, "there are instructions on the blade, but they're faded. I was going to ask you if you could make them out, but—" he broke off, feeling like an idiot. How could he have forgotten the girl was blind?

To his surprise, the girl just blinked and held out her hands. "Inscriptions, eh? Let me see. There might be an imprint still left over."

Her small hands made a blind grab for the sword. Zuko reacted out of pure instinct, snatching her hands away before she accidentally cut herself. "Careful!" he yelped, "The blade's sharp. Here," taking her tiny hands into his own tanned ones he ran her fingers over the inscription.

The girl's eyes were blank and expressionless as always, but her cheeks blushed scarlet from what Zuko could only assume was embarrassment from her near mistake. The moment her fingertips touched on the first inscription, she nodded. "I can feel something!"

"What does it say?"

"I can't read." She sounded affronted that he would even ask, and Zuko had to restrain the urge to roll his eyes. "Still…" she said, a moment later, her fingers still tracing the mark. Her hand reached out, and curled itself into a claw. At once the pebbles Momo had been playing with jumped to attention, and with a twist of her wrist they formed themselves into a pattern. "This is what I see."

The pebbles slid along the ground and came to a stop in a familiar character. "It says 'Never'!" Zuko promptly forgot about his annoyance. He quickly moved her hand to the next inscription. "What about this?"

One by one, Toph translated the faded inscriptions, and about halfway through Zuko had the bad feeling he knew where this was going. Still, the last word felt like a physical impact, like a stab through his heart. His fingers went slack, letting Toph's hand slide away.

"Well?" The earthbender asked, turning her head slightly to address him, her voice impatient. "What does it say?"

"It says: Never give up without a fight." Zuko swallowed, memories rising, unbidden behind his eyes. He suddenly wasn't there in the Avatar's house. He was a child again, back at the Palace. His mother was alive, straight and tall handing him a sent gift from Uncle… a dagger with the same inscription.

Uncle…

"Snoozles?" Toph's voice brought him to the present, and suddenly he was very glad that she was blind. She couldn't surely see his wet eyes. "What's happened? What's got you upset?"

"Nothing," he lied, hoarsely.

"Yeah, right. I can feel your breathing. It's gotten all hitchy."

Zuko shook his head and decided to ignore her for the moment. How could there be two weapons with the same inscription on it? Was this old sword somehow linked to his dagger? He rose and headed for the window. He needed fresh air. Along the way, he passed by the mirror again, and paused.

The Water Tribe boy stared back at him, bringing a fresh wave of misery.

_I'm still trying to fight, mother. I just don't know how anymore…_

The door burst open with a whoosh of air that Zuko was starting to associate with the Avatar. The kid didn't do anything halfway, did he? Quickly, Zuko scrubbed his eyes, and turned to them.

The Water Tribe girl and the Avatar bounded in, completely unaware of the dark atmosphere they just walked into.

"We found a printer to make our posters!" The Water Tribe girl announced, proudly holding up a flyer.

Zuko forced himself to pretend interest. He walked over and grabbed it. It was a professionally printed picture of the Avatar's bison along with a personal plea from Aang for his return along with an address and the like. Even he had to admit it was well done. "How much this cost?" he wondered, turning it over in his hand.

To Zuko's relief, Toph didn't seem to be interested in continuing their prior conversation. She was lounging back again, letting Momo lick the bottom of one foot. "Who cares? It looks pretty good to me."

"Yeah…" Zuko turned it back over, rereading. "I guess they're okay — Hey!" he shot her a glare which, of course, she couldn't see. Toph giggled.

Aang grinned up at him. "The printer offered it for free." His voice maimed a low pitched, groveling tone. "Anything for the Avatar!" He was nearly bouncing with excitement and from a carry sack he pulled a double-handful of posters. "C'mon! Let's get busy!"

And Zuko had no choice but to go along with them.

* * *

**OOOOOOOOOOO**

* * *

Sokka carefully placed the tray of teacups before the three guests, and glanced up to meet their eyes with a smile. The three girls were about his age, pretty with done up hair and fancy clothes that showed their curves in jut the right places. He flashed them a smile that he knew if he was still in his own body, would have them swooning in an instant.

Since he currently looked like Zuko, he'd just have to work a little bit harder.

"Let me guess," Sokka said, grabbing a cup with his good arm and placing in front of a girl dressed in green. "Green tea." He placed another one in front of a girl garbed in red, "Ginseng for you." The final girl looked at him expectantly, and his smile grew brighter, "And you must like our house Jasmine."

"Very good," the Jasmine girl demurred lowly, taking a small sip. The sweet little smile that played over her features suddenly made working at this shop almost worth it. "Your uncle Moshi brews a wonderful cup."

"Him?" Sokka glanced back at Iroh, who seemed to be having a rather pointed discussion with a couple of officials. He wasn't paying attention. "Oh, I let him take the credit, you know, to help him out sometimes. I'm the one who really came up with the special blend of spices."

"Oh?" she purred. He could tell she didn't believe him, but she didn't care. Neither did Sokka. "What's your secret, then?"

"I'll tell you, but you have to keep it secret." He knelt down by the table, and the girls leaned in. "While I'm mixing the spices, I just think of the look on pretty girls faces when they taste the tea the next morning. The secret ingredient is love."

They giggled, hiding their mouths behind their hands. Sokka grinned again and stood up, taking the tray. "Let me know me know if you need anything else."

"Oh, we will."

Tray in hand, he turned and walked behind the counter to replace it. From behind him, he could hear the girls giggle again.

"Did you see his scar?"

"It was so gross! I think I've lost my appetite."

"If he comes back here, you talk to him, Shishi. I could barely look at it."

Sokka's paused mid-step, his shoulders tensed. He knew they weren't talking about _him_, but at the same time… they were. And it hurt. It hurt a lot. He wanted to turn back around and tell them a thing or two, about how they weren't that pretty themselves, that he had been to plenty of places in the world, thank you very much, and had seen much prettier girls that had actually kissed him… One of whom was an actual princess and the other could kick their butts…

Slamming down the tray harder than what was necessary, he stalked across the room, heading for the door. He passed by Zuko's Uncle, who was still in discussion with the officials.

Iroh turned to him. "Did you hear, Nephew? This man wants to give us our own teashop in the upper ring of the city!"

"That's right, young man." the official added, "Your life is about to change for the better."

"Yeah." Sokka kept walking. "Great." Quickly, before he changed his mind about yelling at those snotty girls, he yanked open the door and stepped outside, resting his back against the wall.

He crossed his hands over his chest, and gave a long sigh. "They weren't talking about you, buddy." He reminded himself softly, again. It still hurt. He was quickly coming to hate how people would always glance at his left eye, and then away. At first it was a source of amusement — but now, Sokka couldn't help but take some offence. After all, he was a handsome guy! On the inside, at least.

Something fluttered just outside the field of his vision. He glanced up and with reactions that were quicker than his old one had been, snatched a piece of paper that seemed to be floating downwards from the sky. His unscarred eye widened as a very familiar image looked up at him. "Appa?" Quickly scanning the lost bison poster, he then looked to the sky, hope lighting his face. "Aang?"

His friend had to be up there, somewhere, dropping off flyers.

Sokka's limbs found new life in them. He leapt, using the fingers on his good hand to catch the imperfections of the stone wall, and hauled himself up to the tall window-sill. From there it was easy to use the rain gutter to scramble up to the roof if he ignored the very sharp and painful protests from the broken arm. Sokka knew if he kept using it like this, he could do himself — er, Zuko — some permanent damage.

Then he was at the top.

"Aang!" He got to his feet, searching the sky anxiously for the Avatar. The sky around him was a brilliant shade of blue, but empty. The only thing Sokka saw was a distant flutter of pamphlets and row upon endless row of houses.

Sokka's face fell. He looked down the flyer still clutched in his hand and ran his thumb over the image of Appa. A wave of homesickness made his chest tighten.

He had to go back.

How, though? How?

"C'mon, Sokka… think! Think!" He pressed his hands against his temple, willing an idea to come to him. It would be easy to go home tonight after the shift. He could sneak out again as the Blue Spirit… but then what? The reality of being Zuko was really starting to set in, and it was getting harder for Sokka to deny the truth. Katara would try to drown him, if Aang and Toph didn't get to him first. He was Prince Jerk.

But what if he was Prince Jerk who had found and was returning Appa…?

* * *

**OOOOOOOOOOO**

* * *

Zuko studied the cards in front of him, trying to figure out which one would give him the best chances. Somehow, Katara had managed to get the trump card out of all three games they had played, and he refused to lose another match of Bashi Fen to the infuriating girl.

He picked another wooden card out of his pack — the red queen of fire — and set it down on the table with a small smirk. _Beat that, Water Peasant. _

Katara just smiled a knowing smile and laid down a black ace of water.

Zuko threw down his hand with a frustrated groan. "Oh come on! You have to be cheating!"

"Why? Just because I'm better than you?" She collected the cards and started to reshuffle.

The door opened, once again with a whoosh of air. Zuko didn't even look up to see Aang walk in. Perhaps if he were more honest with himself he would realize that he was becoming accustomed to the young monk's presence, but as it was he was too busy watching Katara reshuffle to make sure she wasn't slipping cards up her sleeve — her luck was almost unnatural.

"I just finished dropping off the leaflets," said Aang, "Has anyone come in with any news about Appa?"

"No," answered Zuko, eyes still on the cards.

Katara had started to deal the next game. She paused, waiving a hand at Aang. "It's only been a day. Be patient."

The Avatar sighed and took a seat to watch the game. A moment later there was a polite knock on the door. Instantly, Aang was on his feet. "Wow! You're right! Patience really pays off!"

Zuko felt a tingle of a chill go down his spine. Forgetting about the game, he got up and followed close behind Aang, half expecting to see… oh Agni, what if Sokka decided to return back to the house in his body?

What would Zuko do, then? He would have to keep up his act. Would he call Sokka crazy? Attack him? A hand casually drifted to his stomach, stopping at the point where he had been run through.

Aang opened the door. A lady stood there, an unnaturally wide smile stretching across her face.

"Joo Dee?" gasped Aang.

The smiling lady invited herself in and nodded to them all in turn. "Hello Aang, and Katara, and Sokka, and Toph." There was definitely something strange about this woman.

The others joined them, and Toph was the first to speak. "What happened to you?"

Joo Dee blinked once, deliberately and slowly. "What do you mean?"

"You disappeared at the Earth King's party."

"Oh," Her smile got even wider, "I simply took a short vacation to Lake Laogai out in the country. It was quite relaxing."

"But…" Katara's eyebrows furrowed in confusion, "then they replaced you with some other woman who also said her name was Joo Dee."

"I'm Joo Dee." Answered the woman, explaining nothing at all.

Well, this was bizarre. Zuko's glanced back and forth, looking at the reactions of the Avatar's friends and then at Joo Dee. He didn't know what was going on, of course, but they were getting nowhere, fast. Did these people never ask the important questions? "Why are you here?" he asked.

From within the large sleeves of her robes, Joo Dee unfurled a very familiar piece of paper. "Dropping flyers and putting up posters isn't permitted within the city. Not without proper clearance."

There was a brief silence as they all took that in. Aang in particular looked like someone had just killed his favorite mouse-kitten. "But… but dropping flyers isn't hurting anyone. How else am I going to find Appa?"

Joo Dee, turned to face him, smile firmly fixed on her face. "You are absolutely forbidden by the rules of the city to continue putting up posters." It was eery how light and cheerful her voice was. Another chill went up Zuko's spine. What was going on here? Exactly who was this woman?

He expected Aang to wilt further, but to Zuko's surprise the normally peaceful little monk's face pinched into a snarl. He stepped in front of Joo Dee, red with anger. "WE DON'T CARE ABOUT THE RULES AND WE'RE NOT ASKING PERMISSION!"

If Zuko was surprised, Joo Dee was doubly so. For the first time an actual expression crossed her smiling, forced features. One of surprise… and fear. She backed up, and Aang followed her step for step, nearly pushing her out the door, still yelling. "We're finding Appa on our own and _you_ should just stay out of our way!" With that, he slammed the door right in her face.

"Aang!" Katara's voice was a mixture of amusement and motherly disapproval.

The monk wheeled around to them. "I don't care, Katara! From now on we do whatever it takes to find Appa!"

And in that moment, Zuko saw a steely glint in his young eyes. For the first time, he saw a hint of the Avatar within.

* * *

**OOOOOOOOOOO**

* * *

Apparently Avatar Aang's great plan to do 'whatever it took' was actually composed of putting up larger posters, this time with sticky glue.

Zuko was starting to get a headache from the smell of the stuff, but slathered on the glue like a good little minion anyway. He didn't care if the bison was found — in fact, he much preferred if he didn't. He was having enough trouble with the stupid lemur, who had now taken to trying to look in his ears as if he thought there was something wrong with his brain. The last thing he needed was a ten-ton animal to be suspicious of him, too.

What was more ridiculous was the way that the group had gone about distributing posters. Maybe Zuko had just seen more of Ba Sing Se, but the place was huge and they had wasted an hour already focusing their attention just wall-papering one street.

One down, ten-thousand to go.

Finally, Zuko couldn't take it anymore. "You know, if we split up we would cover more area." And how exactly did he get out maneuvered by these people time and time again?

Katara nodded, "Good idea. I'll go east and Aang, you can go west. Toph, you should go with Sokka."

"Why, because you think I can't put up posters on my own?" The little girl demanded. Then, before Zuko could react, she grabbed the brush from his hand, smeared some glue on the wall and slammed a poster — backwards and upside down — upon it.

There was an awkward, very uncomfortable silence.

"It's upside-down, isn't it?" Toph sighed and handed the brush back to Zuko. "I'll go with Sokka."

He didn't want to be saddled with the girl, but at least he could say that she had determination. Zuko made her carry the bucket of glue, and they silently worked their way down the street, putting up posters every twenty feet or so.

Toph was the first one to break the companionable silence, "You don't think this will work, do you?"

Zuko paused in the middle of lining up a poster. Deciding he really didn't care if it was crooked or not, he pushed it against the glue. It was skewed, but any passerby would have a million other examples to look at from Aang and Katara's work, if they really cared. "Why do you say that?"

"Your breathing sounds all annoyed."

He looked at her, one eyebrow raised. "How can breathing sound annoyed?"

She shrugged. "It just does."

A gaggle of giggles echoed from somewhere down the street. Zuko hardly paid attention, but he didn't fail to notice how Toph's head swung towards the direction, or how her arms crossed over her chest.

"What?"

"It's those _girls_."

Zuko looked over to see a trio of pretty young ladies in clothed in complementing colors of green, red and white, walking across the street from them. Two of them were carrying a shade umbrella, and they were having some sort of private, spirited conversation, politely hiding their giggles behind their hands. He didn't see anything wrong. "What about them?"

"Nothing." Growled Toph, but Zuko could her nails bite into the skin of her arms. "They said something to me and Katara one time, but we handled it. It's nothing."

He shook his head and painted another line of glue on the wall before sticking a poster. "Yeah," he said, "you're sure acting like it's nothing."

"I said it was fine!" Toph looked like she was going to punch the wall, or, Agni forbid, start crying. Zuko couldn't handle that. He didn't know what to do when a girl started to cry… especially not as one as hard and tough as this one.

He glanced again at the girls, and then at Toph. The difference between them couldn't be any clearer. They were fine ladies in training, probably bred of nobles. He didn't know the little earthbender's breeding, but could make a guess on the ragamuffin state of her clothing, and the dirt on her skin. He had been around Azula enough to make a fair guess on what exactly had been said in that little conversation.

And it made him angry.

"Toph, whatever those girls said—"

"Just drop it, Snoozles."

"—They're idiots. And you are too if you let them get to you."

She was silent for a moment, and then let out a long breath. "Thanks. I think."

"Yeah, well so I've never been the best at pep-talks." Or wisdom. That was Uncle's thing. He sighed. "Just hand me another flyer."

She did, but Zuko could see a hint of a smile on her face. He opened his mouth to add something more, but suddenly her expression changed into one of alarm.

"Katara's in trouble!" She grabbed his arm, nearly tearing it out of its socket as she began to run. "C'mon!"

_Who would be stupid… or desperate enough to attack at Master Waterbender?_ Thought Zuko. He reached behind him, withdrawing the broadsword he had strapped to his back. As they rounded a corner, they saw Aang who looked like he was in the middle of entertaining a trio of children by windblasting glue to the wall, and sticking posters on there. He took one look at Zuko's grim face, and ran to catch up with them without comment.

If only he could have trained his crewman that well back on the ship.

Toph had an unwavering sense of direction, following whatever silent signal she was getting from her earthbending. Within a few seconds, they were rounding another corner, this one leading into a blocked alleyway.

The Water Tribe girl stood with her back towards them. Every muscle in her back tensed.

"What—" Zuko began, and then his eyes fell on the all too familiar figure who was pinned to the wall by icicle daggers. Jet. Zuko's jaw dropped, "YOU AGAIN!?"

Instantly, he realized his error. How was "Sokka" supposed to know who Jet was? Zuko glanced quickly around, but Aang's narrowed eyes were focused only on the freedom fighter.

Katara glanced over her shoulder, relaxing slightly now that she had backup. "Jet's back." And her voice was as cold as the ice which she wielded.

* * *

**OOOOOOOOOOO**

* * *

Sokka had stashed the flyer within the under pocket of his tunic, and it sat against his heart like a poultice of hope. If Aang and the others were passing out flyers, they must have gotten a lead that Appa was still somewhere in the city.

He could hardly wait for his long at the teashop shift to end. Once he was free, he walked quickly towards the apartment, mind brimming with ideas. Maybe this was part of the reason why the Spirits had returned him to Zuko's body. As Sokka, he was under the tight control of Joo Dee. What had Toph called it? Being handled. He hadn't been free to ask any of the questions he wanted. But as Scar Face…

Opening the door to the apartment, he saw the General sitting in the middle of the room, carefully putting his belongings away in a wicker chest. It took Sokka a few moments to remember that Iroh had been offered a new tea shop in the upper ring, along with a new apartment. They were moving.

"So," said Iroh, as if Sokka had not just come in, and they were in fact in the middle of a conversation. "I was thinking about names for my new tea shop. How about the Jasmine Dragon‌? It's dramatic, poetic… has a nice ring to it."

"Uh…" He felt momentarily thrown, and shook his head, stepping into the room and closing the door behind him. "I guess that's a good name. Yeah." Hunting around for an empty basket, he started looking for things that would belong to Zuko. He had his own packing to do, but if he had his way, he wouldn't be coming back.

"You know, I've always wanted my own tea shop." The old General prattled, as Sokka located the bag with the Blue Spirit outfit in it. He hefted it over his good shoulder.

He had a plan now. He was going to go home to his family.

Iroh was still talking, going on about how he planned on decorating it, and how he hoped the apartment was a close distance by — but Sokka was only listening with half an ear. He could hardly keep the smile on his face.

He was going home.

Pack in hand, he turned around to grab something in front of the room, and promptly tripped over a wicker basket he would later swear wasn't there before. He threw out his arm to catch himself — unfortunately his broken one. He hit the floor hard, and a spike of pain ripped up his arm with such force the world actually went white for a moment.

Then it came back into color again. Sokka cried out, sitting up and clutching the broken arm to his chest.

"Zuko!" Iroh knelt down by the boy he thought was his nephew, "Take off your tunic. Let me see the damage."

Sokka clenched his jaw so hard against screaming, he thought he might break a tooth. The General's hands were gentle, though, and he examined the arm with a practiced eye of someone who had probably seen a number of field injuries. "Hmmm… Good news!" he said, at last, "It doesn't look like you rebroke the bone. You just jarred it a bit."

"Oh goody." But he had to admit the pain was lessening from complete agony to something akin to, well, a bone break. He smelled smoke and looked down, realizing that his good hand was clenched so tight that smoke was seeping through his fingers. Firebender. Right. He took a deep breath, and made himself relax. "Are you sure I didn't break it again, because…" he trailed off, realizing that Iroh was not paying attention to him.

The old General was looking at his crumpled tunic, laying beside him, or rather, the flyer that was sticking out of the pocket. Sokka moved to grab it, but Iroh was much quicker.

There was dead silence in the apartment as Iroh read the flyer. Slowly, the General lowered it, and looked back at Sokka. "It seems the Avatar has lost his bison."

"Yeah, well…" Pain from his arm beat into his brain like a steady drum, but Sokka tried to push it away. "It's kinda hard to lose a ten ton bison. He'll probably find it sooner or later. It is, you know, giant… and flying…" He waived his good hand around, for emphasize.

Iroh did not seem to be amused. "We have a chance for a new life here, Nephew. If you start stirring up trouble, we could lose all the good things that are happening for us."

"Who says I'm stirring up anything?" Sokka did his best to look affronted, even though he was more than a little surprised at Iroh's reaction. Did he really mean that? Sokka had just assumed that he and Zuko were here for their normal, nefarious plots to capture Aang. Were they really trying to start fresh here?

Still clutching his arm, Sokka hobbled to his feet while attempting to look dignified. He thought he succeeded, mostly. "There were a hundred of those flyers floating around. So what if I picked up one? Don't be so paranoid… I don't care what the Avatar does, anymore."

The General stared at him for a moment longer while Sokka held his breath. Then the old man nodded, once. "That is very good to hear, Nephew."

* * *

**OOOOOOOOOOO**

* * *

Thanks for reading! You guys rock. I'll do my best to keep this fresh and interesting for you. Quick question (if you don't mind). Do you like the story following the series, or should it branch off in its own direction? I have my own ideas on where to take this, but please let me know what you think.

**And now for the reviews:**

Firebender01: I will, and I did write as fast as I could. Hehe. I hope you liked it!

Party in the Afterlife: Thanks! I'm glad you liked it. My guess is that there will probably be more firebending Sokka soon!

Bluetiger: Gah, you hit upon another thing I hoped no one would notice. You are a great reader and definitely have an eye for details. :) Zuko's sword should come into play later on. I'm going to try to have him see it as a physical link to his 'former life', and a reminder of his love for his uncle. We'll see if I can pull it off!

Joshrandom: They weren't ramblings, and that was a very good idea. grin Hey, were you the one who also favorited my deviant art? You are so freakin' cool. Thanks!

OveractiveImagination39: Thanks for telling me. I'm totally going to PM her with a huge thank you! And thanks for the very cool review. This switching bodies theme is both easier and harder than I thought it would be… the characters write themselves, luckily. The problem is trying to tie it into the plot without making it OCC. Well, we'll see how it goes. Thanks again!

arizony: Aw, thank you! Zuko and Sokka are too alike for their own good. Hehe. I hope you liked this chapter.

Wren Sharpbeak: Big ol' Grin. You really caught onto what I was trying to do with Iroh to a tee. I feel like a magician who got called out on a trick… but I'm totally happy about it. Yes, his motives are to stay secret… for now. I really think that there's more in alike with Zuko and Sokka then there is unalike, and that's what makes this easy… and hard. Hopefully you liked this, and if you have any suggestions on making it better I'd appreciate it!

AStormIsBrewing: ha! Yeah, really. Freakin' teenage boys always making things harder for themselves… :) I'm glad you liked it, and thanks for the review!

Shinimegami7: Hehe. I agree with Zuko. The guy doesn't stop very easily. But I hope you saw some progress in this chapter. Thanks for the review!

BaiMaoRieji: Whoa, thanks for the catch! I saw a few other errors and I'll be correcting those as well. As much as I try to self edit, things always slip by. Thanks again!

avatargirl92008: Hey thanks! I'm glad you liked it!

ME: I agree with you. It was a little jarring… imagine what it would have been like for Sokka. Iroh is either catching on… or he's insane. Hehe. I'm glad I still rated the thumbs up! :)

Yersi Fanel: Thanks for the sweet review! Yup, they are slllloowly learning. (Despite themselves).

Snape Goes Commando: OMG this review made me laugh out loud. The way you phrased that… I'm definitely going to put a whole Ozai and Zuko-in-Sokka's-body dream sequence in an upcoming chapter just for you. And yeah, I predict bad things if Sokka comes to the group and goes, "Hai guyz!". Will it happen… maybe. grins

Dutch92: Don't worry! I don't intend to stop writing. In fact, I've had to put other stories on hold because this has taken over my brain. Thanks for the review.

Omnicat: Lol. I don't mind rambling, and thank you for your review! I hope that this chapter was interesting for you.

ardy1: Ardy, you are so cool. Thank you for your sweet words. They made me so warm and happy. Lol. My whole theme on writing has always been to make "kindergarten" sentences. It's easy to read, and hopefully people can get the details that they need as well. It's satisfying to know that it came across. I can only hope that this chapter meets your expectations. Thank you again!

Minathia: I know what you mean about the fics, but there are really good ones out there. It's really like finding a diamond in the rough… I have a couple of my personal favorites saved in the favorites part of my profile, but I'm sure there are plenty more out there. Have any good HP fics that you recommend? I'm in a little bit of a slump with that fandom right now.

Dark Stanley: Thanks! I'm working hard on trying to keep them true to their characters. I'm so glad you liked it.

tomorrow4eva: Woot! Thank you for your kind words. I hope you liked this chapter.

Saucebender: Hehe. You got it! Their "souls" changed, but their bodies (Sokka's hunger and strength, and Zuko's mad gymnastic skillz) pretty much remained the same. Really? This was the first non-Zutara? Well head on over to my favorites section… I have listed a couple of other gen type fics that I personally thought were really good. Brothers in Arms is a personal favorite (and it helped inspire this) as well as Shattered.

**Thanks again!**


	5. Under The Lake of Revelations

**Authors Notes:** Well this part was a lot of fun to write! I don't have much to say (for once) so let's just get started!

* * *

**OOOOOOOOO**

* * *

"We can't trust anything he says," Katara snarled, her dangerous gaze still locked on Jet.

Zuko sent a hateful glare at the pinned freedom fighter, remember vividly how he tried to expose him and Uncle as Fire Nation. It was only luck that the arresting Dai Li mistook Jet for a lunatic. Was he let out of jail?

At least, the Avatar's group seemed to know what he was made of. It was more than obvious that they had their own run in with him.

"Katara, we don't even know why he's here," said Aang, ever the peaceful monk.

Zuko didn't take his eyes off of Jet. Not for one moment. "To attack her!" He stepped forward, facing the freedom fighter head on. "Probably to get to you, Aang." At least, that's what he would have done.

He felt more than saw Katara stand at his side, shoulder to shoulder. Zuko risked a quick glance and met her blue eyes. Her silent message was clear: They would stand together; brother and sister. "We can't trust him." Katara looked away back towards Jet before Zuko had time to process that thought, or to be disturbed by it. "He's already betrayed us once."

Jet's voice broke in, pleading. "I'm here because I found this!" His free hand unclenched and an Appa flyer rolled out.

Zuko was not impressed. "So? You could have found that anywhere."

"But I think I know where he is." Jet looked from Katara to Zuko and back again, as if he could appeal to what he thought was the better nature of the two Water Tribe siblings. "I swear, I've changed. I was a troubled person, and I let my anger get out of control. But I don't even have the gang now! I've put all that behind me."

"We don't believe you, Jet," snapped Katara. She glanced at Zuko who nodded a quick affirmation. "You're lying—"

"He's not lying!" So far Toph had stayed back, silent and observant. Now she strode forward, pushing past Zuko and Katara to walk to the far wall.

"What?" Zuko barked, startled, "How do you know?"

Toph placed a palm on the wall right next to the pinned freedom fighter. She was quiet for a moment, listening to something that only she could hear. "I can feel his breathing and heartbeat. When people lie, there is a physical reaction. He's telling the truth."

Zuko stared at her, stunned and horrified. The girl had to be exaggerating… right? After all, if she could do that then why hadn't she sensed his deception the moment that they met in the lower rings?

But the answer came to him, shocking and horrible; he had Sokka's body. It was his Sokka's heart that was beating in his chest, his unconscious mannerisms, his stupid way of slouching… besides, Zuko had never lied to Toph. Not really. When faced with not telling the truth, he had preferred to not answer at all, or just simply change the subject. It was a habit ingrained in him from years of dealing with his sister, who was a master lair.

He would have to watch his step carefully around the little earthbender from now on.

"Sokka, Katara." The Avatar turned to them, beseechingly. "We don't have any leads. If Jet says he can take us to Appa, we have to check it out."

There was a beat as Katara looked to Zuko, as if seeking confirmation. At this point, though, Zuko didn't care. He shook his head once and looked away, thoughts still churning on how he was going to have to deal with Toph's new ability.

"Fine," said Katara at last. Then she pointed one threatening finger at Jet. "But we're not letting you out of our sight."

* * *

**OOOOOOOOO**

* * *

Jet led them down the street to the industrial side of the upper rings. A row of warehouses sat, mostly unused.

Zuko hung back behind the group, arms crossed, sulking. Toph's lie detector ability was bad enough, but he couldn't think of one good reason why it should bother him so much that Jet was allowed the Avatar's trust so easily — at least the Water Tribe girl had some good sense, and continued to watch him with narrowed eyes — Maybe it was that the last time Zuko saw Jet, he had been serving tea. He even remembered the customer's order: Chamomile with two sugars…

Zuko pressed his lips together in a thin line, hugging his arms even tighter. He had been unhappy as a tea server, but he had been free of the burden of chasing the Avatar. Now that the burden was back… he didn't realize how stressless his life had been without it.

His eyes fell to a flyer recently plastered to a building, apparently one that had been approved by Ba Sing Se 'Cultural Authority'. A demon in a blue tinged mask laughed back at him from the paper. Zuko's eyes widened, and after throwing a quick look to the group ahead to see if he would be noticed, stepped to the wall.

Wow… the reward on the Blue Spirit had been doubled in recent days. His mouth pulled into a little bit of a smirk. Apparently, there were copy cats running around because while the Blue Spirit had caused a lot of headaches for the Earth Kingdom, he had never caused the explosion of a warehouse.

"Sokka!"

"Coming!" called Zuko, without hardly thinking about it. He grabbed the poster and stuffed it into his jerkin. A keepsake of better times.

He shifted into the easy loping jog that Sokka's body was most comfortable with, and caught up with the rest of the group just inside the warehouse. It was empty — not that he expected Jet to be telling the truth.

"They took that big thing yesterday." An aged janitor was saying, "Shipped him out to some island. About time. I've been cleaning up fur and various, uh, leavings all day_._

The Avatar's entire face lit up, and he raced over to the old man. "Where's Appa‌?!"

The janitor kept sweeping, uncaring or unimpressed that his news brought such a reaction. "Foreman said some rich royal type on Whale Tail Island bought him up, guess for a zoo or such, though could be the meat would be good."

"We've gotta get to Whale Tail Island!" Then Aang hesitated, turning to the group. "Wait, where's Whale Tail Island?"

‌"Far," Zuko groaned. He pinched the bridge of his nose, trying to stay back a headache. "Very far. It's nearly back at the South Pole." He remembered stopping there for supplies, back on the Battleship. It was actually his last stop before rediscovering the Avatar.

"Aang, it'll take us weeks just to get to the tip of the earth kingdom." Katara said, "And then we'll need to find a boat to get to the island."

The young monk's jaw set, and he got that steely look in his eye that Zuko was starting to associate with Aang at his most decisive. "I don't care. We have a chance to find Appa. We have to try."

Zuko opened his mouth to object. After all, he wasn't ready to leave Ba Sing Se… not really. Not without completing his mission. But before he could say anything, Jet stepped in front of him, a friendly smile on his face. "Sokka, can I talk to you for a second?"

Zuko narrowed his eyes. He didn't want to hear anything this guy had to say. "No." He made a move to step past, but the freedom fighter put a hand on his shoulder, stopping him.

"Look, I didn't…. It… it was only because of you that I didn't become a murderer. After that," Jet gave a breathless laugh, "everything sort of fell apart for my group. So I just wanted to say thank you… and, that I'm sorry."

Later on, Zuko would find it a little sad that Jet would never know the reason why "Sokka" had stared at him with cold, unimpressed eyes. Or why he had shrugged off his touch, and thrown his apology back in his face. "Save it, Jet. You better just stay away from me if you know what's good for you."

Seeing the shocked look on Jet's face — well, it didn't come anywhere close to making up for this whole fiasco, but it was satisfying — Zuko turned and rejoined the others.

The Water Tribe girl was berating the janitor, telling him to mind his own business before she turned kind eyes to the Avatar. "Right now, our first concern has to be finding Appa. We can come back when we have him."

Zuko and glanced back at Jet, silently reminding him to stay out of his way. He would just have to figure out how to capture the Avatar on the way to the Island, and he wasn't going to allow some anti-Fire Nation fanatic to get in his way. "Let's get moving, then."

Jet met his eyes and stepped forward as if in a challenge. "I'll come with you."

"No you won't." Zuko snapped.

He felt someone step to his side. Katara again. She was facing Jet along with him, just as set and just as determined. "We don't need your help."

To both of their annoyances, Jet flashed them a smile that he probably assumed would be disarming, and stepped past them, following the Avatar. "Why won't you trust me?" he called, over one shoulder.

Katara growled at his back, and out of survival instant, Zuko looked around for open sources of water. "Gee! I wonder!"

"I really hate that guy." Grumbled Zuko, recrossing his arms.

Toph, too, had hung back, and Zuko could see a smile playing at her lips. "Was this guy your boyfriend or something, Katara?"

"What?" But she hurriedly looked in the other direction, "No!"

The earthbender's smile just got wider. "I can tell you're lyyyyying."

Zuko chuckled, and then caught himself. What was he doing?

Quickly, he hurried to catch up with the Avatar.

Jet and Aang were walking side-by-side as if they were best buddies, and Zuko made sure to put himself between them, sending a quick glare to Jet. Aang was talking rapidly, his mood much improved now that they had a solid lead on his bison.

"— sandbenders took him when we were in the library." Chatted Aang, apparently now completely at ease with the freedom fighter.

Zuko had no idea what had happened between Jet and the Avatar's gang, of course, but it was serious enough to make the Water Girl nervous. Yet here was the child Avatar, happily gabbing away with Jet as if they were long-time friends. Instantly forgiven.

Aang trusted. He trusted without question, without judgment.

A thought that should not be as uncomfortable as it was, pricked the back of his mind. No wonder the Air Nomads were defeated. He could just imagine a temple full of bald monks raising their hands as if in greeting, only to be met with a platoon of fire nation soldiers…

A familiar voice from the past echoed in his memories, "_If we knew each other back then, do you think we could have been friends too?"_

Zuko frowned and glanced towards the setting sun. Yet instead of feeling calm or empowered by the physical body of his elemental spirit, he just felt hot and a little sweaty.

"—but Sokka could tell you about that." Aang elbowed Zuko playfully in the ribs.

"What?" Zuko came back to himself with a start to see both Aang and Jet looking at him expectantly.

"You know, the day of Black Sun."

Zuko stopped dead in his tracks. He stared at Aang. They knew? Why? How? That was a closely guarded Fire Nation secret, and for good reason. How did the number one enemy of his nation find out about their greatest weakness?

Jet paused too, and shot what could only be called a smug look at the Avatar. "It's okay, Aang. I know that Sokka doesn't trust me."

The Avatar was still looking to him with his wide, expressive eyes. Zuko had to say something and pray that it was what the group already knew. "It's the day of a full solar eclipse." His voice felt hollow, and despite himself he gave a small shudder. He had been just a small boy when the last one had occurred, but still vividly remembered the weakness — the cold. "When the moon completely blocks the sun, firebenders lose their link to their element. They can't bend."

Jet's eyes widened. "That means…" he turned to Aang, "you know what this means, don't you?"

"Yup!" chirped the Avatar, and to Zuko's dismay, threw a friendly arm about his shoulder. "We're trying to tell the Earth King, and raise an army, but the King is under control of the Dai Li — He doesn't even realize there's a war going on. Sokka thinks the eclipse is the perfect time to invade the fire nation."

Zuko felt ill.

Katara and Toph caught up to them, just as Jet was saying, "Let me join you. If there's going to be a raid on the Fire Nation, I want in!"

Katara's jaw dropped, and she turned to Zuko, shocked, "Sokka!"

"I didn't tell him anything!" He hated how his voice cracked in no less than two places in that sentence. It was too much. He could not, would not join his enemies on a raid on his own country. Especially not with a turncoat psychopath like Jet. He turned to the other boy, his hand falling on the hilt of the broadsword. "And you are not joining us!"

"But I have experience fighting the Fire Nation." Insisted Jet. "I'm the perfect person to—"

"Jet!"

Everyone turned to see a young girl with lines of face paint along her cheeks standing down the street. To her side was a tall boy with a bow and arrow. Vaguely, Zuko remembered their names… only because they were so stupid: Smellerbee and Longshot.

Katara turned to Jet, her graceful fingers flicking open the cap of her waterskin. "I thought you said you didn't have your gang anymore!"

"I… I don't!"

But Smellerbee was already running towards them and with a cry of relief, threw her arms about Jet's neck. "We were so worried! How did you get away from the Dai Li?"

Katara gasped, "The Dai Li?!"

Zuko couldn't help but smirk. He stepped back, crossing his arms over his chest, content to watch Jet's fragile little house of cards come collapsing down on him.

Jet tried to deny it, but the boyish little girl was insistent. "He got arrested by the Dai Li a couple weeks ago. We watched them drag him away."

"Why would I be arrested?!" Jet demanded, "I've been living peacefully in the city!"

Meanwhile, Toph had bent down and placed a hand on the ground beside them. "This doesn't make any sense. They're both telling the truth."

"That's impossible," said Katara.

Zuko allowed himself to enjoy this moment. It was good to savor the defeat of one's enemies. He arched an eyebrow. "Well, one of them has to be lying." _Two guesses on who would have the most to gain from doing it_.

As one, the eyes of the Avatar's gang fell on Jet. The Freedom fighter shook his head. "I'm not lying, and I haven't been arrested!" A sudden fearful look crossed his face. His eyes darted back and forth, and he backed up, reaching for his swords. "You guys are crazy! Get away from me!"

"Jet, you're confused!" Smellerbee reached her hands out cautiously, as if she was trying to tame a wild Ostrich-Horse. "Please, let us help you."

As one, they closed in.

* * *

**OOOOOOOOO**

* * *

The moon was high in the sky again, and for once Sokka was glad it wasn't full. He didn't need Yue's light illuminating everything. Right now, he needed her shadows to stay hidden.

It had every bit of his natural cunning and Zuko's sharp reflexes to trail the Dai Li soldiers. He had been lucky. They were highly trained earthbenders, but they weren't Toph, and so far Sokka had been able to follow them undetected.

He had been in the city long enough to know that the Cultural Authority seemed to have a finger in every pie. They knew what was going on, and if Appa was still in the city… they would know about it, or knew of someone who did. Sokka knew if he was just given the opportunity, he could make them talk.

Better yet, there might even be some sort of archive at whatever the Dai Li used as their headquarters. Sokka was always a big fan of useful maps and incriminating records.

He had decided to leave the Blue Spirit guise back in the apartment, figuring that he might need it at a later date. So, dressed in his green robes of the earth kingdom , Sokka crept along the city streets, keeping just out of sight of the pair of agents he was stalking. So far, it had been a boring night. The Dai Li agents talked among themselves; Sokka could hear the occasional word and shout of laughter echo down the city streets. They harassed a few locals, but made no arrests and didn't seem to be in a hurry to return back to their headquarters.

At least, that's what he had thought.

The agents were still talking about themselves — complaining about the antics of their wives, as they rounded a corner and came to a halt in the middle of a courtyard. Then, the agent on the right stamped his foot in the solid take-no-prisoners way that he'd seen Toph do a hundred times.

And the two agents sunk underground.

Sokka slapped his palm to his forehead. Of course a group of evil secretive earthbenders would have their evil secret headquarters under the ground. He was going to have to find a way to get in.

It took Sokka all of ten seconds to come up with a plan.

He sighed to himself, and re-secured the Blue Spirit mask under his robes. Like all of his plans, it was brilliant if unorthodox… unfortunately, it was going to hurt. A lot.

* * *

**OOOOOOOOO**

* * *

If it was one thing Dai Li agent Chun hated about his job, it was working the late shift solo. His patrol partner, Shin Shun, was out sick again claiming some type of back problem. Normally, Chun would have been given the job of processing prisoners at the Lake headquarters, but Long Feng was in a tissy over the Blue Spirit, and had all agents out on patrol — partners or no.

Not that Chun was complaining. As much as he hated solo late shifts, he hated desk duty even more.

So far it was a quiet night. Most of the citizens had gotten the message that the Dai Li were serious about finding and eradicating the Blue Spirit, and were keeping themselves safe indoors. Anyone out after midnight was subject to questioning and detention back at the Lake.

The citizens, the smart ones at least, also knew that once people went to Lake Laogai they came out… different. Best to avoid arrest.

Chun strolled down one of the center streets, hardly paying attention to his surroundings, lost in his own thoughts. It was more or less an unpleasant surprise when he realized that he was no longer alone, and that there was a dark figure down the way, walking towards him.

He tensed up, clenching his rock gloves. The figure was about his height, but seemed to be in quite a state. He was stumbling in his step, clutching what looked like a half empty mug in his hand, singing in a loud, raspy voice.

_Oh, I come from the land of the Midnight Sun,_

_Where the bear-fox and the sealdeer run._

_Where the southern lights_

_make nights seem like days_

_As they light our southern skies a-blaze..._

The figure swayed on his feet and threw up his arms, gesturing to an audience only he could see. "All together, now! Hey ya hey ya hey ya no nah…"

Chun cleared his throat, loudly.

At once the figure stopped and turned towards him, a laughing grin playing at his lips. It was the same disfigured, raven-haired kid that Chun had talked too a few mornings ago. He would never be able to forget that scar.

And by the looks of him, he was stinking drunk.

"You're past curfew, kid," said Chun, hooking his thumbs into his belt. "And you don't look like you're drinking age."

The dopey grin widened, and the kid took an unsteady step towards him. "I'm just singin', mister. Nothing wrong with that, is there?" He reached out, but tripped over his own feet. Instinctively, Chun made a grab for him, but underestimated the kid's weight. They both crashed against the wall, and the Dai Li Agent heard a snapping sound.

The agent grit his teeth, all amusement gone, and pulled the kid to his feet. "That's enough for you. You're going to sober up back in the drunk tank."

The boy made a rude, sloppy gesture with his hand, and Chun grabbed it, hauling it behind the kid's back. But when he made a grab for the second arm, the kid let up a howl that made Chun's hair stand up on end.

"My arm!" Bonelessly, the kid slid to the ground, clutching at his left limb. At once, Chun realized that was what he heard snapping against the wall. Great.

Again he grit his teeth, and looked about. He and the kid were alone in the street, but they wouldn't be for long the way he was carrying on. The last thing Chun needed was a group of angry citizens, coming to see why this disfigured boy was being abused. "C'mon!" he growled, grabbing the kid's collar and hauled him once more to his feet. "Your arm is fine. You're just drunk! Get walking!"

"You broke my arm!" The boy sobbed, leaning against the Dai Li agent. "I was just singing, and now my arm is broken! How'm I gonna serve tea now?!"

"Shut up!" Chun's hand clamped down on the boy's uninjured forearm. He started walking, nearly dragging the kid along with him. He didn't have the heart to restrain the kid with the rock gloves… not in the pitiful condition that he was in.

Thankfully, the boy's sobs quieted into gasps and he followed along more or less willingly, as Chun had to almost forcefully keep him upright. It wasn't far to the Lake's hidden west entrance.

"What's your name?" Chun asked.

"Lee."

Chun looked over at his prisoner. From his angle, he could see the kid's face, whole an unblemished. It was a shame, really. "How'd you get the scar, kid?"

The boy grunted. "You know how your mom always tells you not to run with scissors?"

"Yeah?"

"Well she should tell you the same thing about matches." The kid rolled his head around, grinning at him.

Chun just shook his head. They were rounding the corner to the courtyard entrance, and he tugged on his prisoner's shoulder to stop him in his place. With a stamp of his foot, Chun bent the earth around him, lowering a column of earth and dropping them both into a hidden tunnel.

If the kid was surprised, he wasn't showing it. He twisting this way and that to get a look around him. Unfortunately, the view was pretty bleak — just a long tunnel with torches spaced here and there for light. Chun pushed him into another stumbling walk. He was getting tired of his drunken prisoner.

After a few moments of silence, the kid spoke up, his voice still drunkenly cheerful. "Where are you taking me?"

"Lake Laogai, kid," said Chun, not breaking his step for a moment. "You'll like it, there. They make all of your troubles go away."

Suddenly the kid straightened, and when he spoke his voice was clear and sober. "Yeah, thanks, but no thanks."

The kid moved so fast, Chun didn't have time to react. Something heavy cracked against his skull, bright lights flashed in front of his eyes, and he went down.

* * *

**OOOOOOOOO**

* * *

Sokka lifted the broken mug again, but the Dai Li agent looked down for the count. That was good because the poor, chipped mug had already been split open while simulating the sound of a breaking arm, and Sokka didn't want to cut the agent… just knock him out.

He straightened up and looked around. Zuko's bad night sight couldn't pierce all of the shadows, but the damp, dark tunnel seemed to go on and on without end in an appropriately sinister way. The only real lights came from flickering torches that were spaced every twenty feet or so.

Sokka clenched his fists. They had better not be keeping Appa in here.

He stepped cautiously over the prone man. The Dai Li agent looked out, and Sokka had his focus on the tunnel ahead, so he didn't see or expect the agent's sudden movement. He thrust his arm out as if grabbing for something.

A square brick of earth shot out from the wall. Sokka had only a moment to turn, but he was too slow. The brick caught him on his right side, and he went down hard, slamming his head against the stone floor.

Sokka's vision swam in and out, blurring over the Dai Li's face, which as suddenly above him. Vaguely, he himself being lifted and then another burst of pain as he was hit in the face. He tried to protect himself, but his senses were rattled. He couldn't organize his thoughts… he should run…he couldn't… what was he trying to do… arms…

The dark grey walls and black shadows all looked the same to his yellow eyes — all except for a single source of light. Sokka focused on the color, and his vision came back into focus. It was one of the torches, sitting high above on the dam wall. The flame danced this way and that, throwing off beautiful shades of orange and red he had never noticed before when he had his own body.

He heard the rumble of stone, knew that the rock glove manacles would be on him in a moment.

Still looking at the torch, Sokka took one deep breath… and all of the flames up and down the hall swelled, breathing with him.

His mind cleared.

Sokka exhaled, and at once the torch closest to him went out, plunging himself and the Dai Li agent into darkness.

"What—" the agent exclaimed, hesitating a split second before closing the manacles. It was enough.

Sokka whipped around, delivering a palm strike right where he knew the agent's face would be. He felt his palm strike flesh, heard a crack of snapping cartilage, and the agent once again went down. Not wanting to take any chances, Sokka bent down to check on him. The Dai Li was truly out this time.

Sokka couldn't help but smirk. "So fire beats earth," he said, with a grin as he rose to his feet and checked his own damage. His head was bleeding a little from the blow, sticky blood mixing in with his hair at the back of his head, but he would be fine. "But water beats them all."

Sokka stepped over the Dai Li agent again, this time unharrassed, and started to walk down the tunnel. Along the way he passed the cold torch. He hesitated for a moment, rubbing the tips of his fingers together. It was strange… he couldn't explain it, but the fire had saved him twice now. He felt he should return it back to its place… he owed it that much.

Sokka didn't really need to think about it. He flicked his wrist as if he was striking a match, and to his dubious amazement, a flame lit in the cup of his hand. Standing up on tip-toes, he returned the flame to the torch, like someone putting a baby bird back in its nest.

Then he set down the hallway again.

* * *

**OOOOOOOOO**

* * *

Smellerbee wanted to Jet back to the apartment she and Longshot were staying in. Apparently, Longshot was the one who originally offered, but as he didn't say much, the gang had to take Smellerbee's word for it.

The apartment was in the lower rings, in fact not far from the apartment Iroh and Zuko stayed at. While Smellerbee and Katara coxed Jet to sit down, Zuko turned towards the one small window, gazing out to the moonlit city. He couldn't quite see his familiar old dingy apartment buildings, but knew they were only a couple blocks away. Was Uncle there, right now, brewing tea?

"I don't know what you're talking about!" Jet insisted to Katara's renewed questioning. "I wasn't arrested! I've been living a peaceful life, working in the city!"

He had been saying the same words, in almost the exact same cadence for nearly an hour. Worse yet, Toph insisted that he was telling the truth. It was eerie, and as Zuko heard Jet repeat himself yet another time, he was strongly reminded of that strange Joo Dee woman and her wide blank smile.

"Jet, we saw them take you away," repeated Smellerbee. "You attacked some tea makers, remember? The ones we rode the ferry with?"

Zuko turned his head and looked at Jet for the first time. Really looked at him. He was sweating, eyes darting back and forth in a manner completely at odds with the cool confident young man he had raided the ferry food supplies with.

"I think he's telling the truth."

At once, every eye was on him, and it took Zuko a moment to realize that it was he who had spoken out. Swallowing, he left the windowsill and turned to face them. Hopefully, he wouldn't say anything that would tip them off… "Maybe he really does remember working and living peacefully because that's what he's been told to remember." Zuko saw Aang give a single thoughtful nod, and his voice got stronger. "Jet's been brainwashed."

"Well, that would explain why his heartbeat isn't changing." Toph turned back and shoved a threatening fist in the freedom fighter's face. "Okay, spill! Have you been brainwashed?!"

"What?" yelped Jet, "No!"

"Toph, he wouldn't remember being brainwashed." Katara admonished, but the look on her face was thoughtful. "The Dai Li must have sent Jet to mislead us, and that janitor was part of their plot too."

Aang's face lit up. "I bet they have Appa here in the city. Maybe he's in the same place they took Jet!" Excitedly, he knelt next to the other boy. "Where did they take you?"

"Nowhere! I… I don't know what you're talking about!"

Zuko sighed and turned back to the window. They weren't going to get anywhere with this. If Jet was truly brainwashed, his memories couldn't be trusted as it was. He heard the others try to jog Jet's memories, but Zuko's mind was already drifting off elsewhere. Maybe he should make an excuse to go and just… just check on Uncle, make sure he was okay…

"Maybe this will help."

Zuko glanced over to see Katara bend her water into two glowing gloves over her hands. What was she…? But then she walked behind Jet and placed one hand on temple.

Jet gave one long breath, and closed his eyes.

Uncle had told him, one time that certain waterbenders could heal. Zuko had no idea that this girl was one of them. Still, he doubted that this idea would work, at least until Jet opened his eyes and murmured, "They took me to a headquarters under the water, like a lake."

Zuko jerked in surprise, his eyes widening. "Wait! That woman, Joo Dee… didn't she say she went on vacation to a lake? Uh," he racked his brains for a moment, "Lake Laogai?"

"That's it!" Jet jumped to his feet. "Lake Laogai!"

* * *

**OOOOOOOOO**

* * *

Hours later, the sun was beginning to rise over the mountains surrounding Ba Sing Se, but Zuko was not aware of Agni's return to the world. He was in a place he thought he would never be: Following the Avatar and his friends under a deep subterranean cavern under a lake.

He glanced up, Sokka's eyes penetrating the shadowy cavern to reveal high vaulted ceilings. It was more than a little alarming to think of how many gallons of water was sitting over them right now. The Dai Li earthbenders who had made this place were strong and skilled, but still couldn't keep out the cold, or the damp.

The firebender he hoped still lived inside of him hated the wet.

To his side, Katara shivered. "I hope they're not keeping Appa down here… you know how he hates caves."

"I know." Zuko didn't, but thought he should agree anyway. He jerked his chin towards Jet who was just ahead of the group, leading them down the long path. "Do you think we should trust him? This could all still be a trap." And if anyone was going to trap them… it was him.

She bit her bottom lip. "I don't know, Sokka. He seems to be telling the truth, but…"

He nodded, his hands falling to the hilt of his sword as if to check to see if it was there. Who knew? Maybe the group would be distracted, and he would finally get the opportunity to take the Avatar. "Yeah."

They walked on, and passed an open doorway. Inside, other Joo Dee's were being prepped, trained to host new citizens of Ba Sing Se. The sight inspired two very conflicting urges in him; disgust, but a little bit of admiration as well… one thing could be said for the government of this place. They had not only kept their large population under control, but also kept the Fire Nation out. That had to say something for their cruel, crazy methods.

Jet looked over his shoulder. "I think there might be a cell big enough to hold Appa up ahead." Suddenly, he stopped in front of a stone sealed door. "I think it's through here."

"How would he know?" Zuko grumbled, mostly to himself.

Katara smiled.

* * *

**OOOOOOOOO**

* * *

In another room, in another part of the complex subterranean complex, another stone door slid open.

The occupant in the room, a ten ton flying bison with chains attached to each of his six legs, raised his head to blink at the robed figure set against the light. The door closed and the man stepped forward. Appa caught his scent, and shifted nervously. This was the angry man who smelled like soot and conflict. He had spit fire from his hands. He had yelled. He had chased Aang.

And he was smiling.

"Appa!"

* * *

**OOOOOOOOO**

* * *

The stone door slid to the side with a low rumble, and the group cautiously edged in. A scowl marred Zuko's handsome face. He peered around, suspiciously, but Sokka's shadow piercing gaze saw nothing but empty spaces and low lit green torches. If only he could just bend them a little, illuminate the space some more…

He took a deep breath, concentrating on the fire… but it remained unchanged.

Suddenly the door slid shut and the torches flared. For one happy moment, Zuko thought he had done it, until he saw the robed man waiting for them in front of the cave, and followed his glance upward to at least a dozen Dai Li agents hanging from what almost looked like meat hooks from the ceiling.

"It's a trap!" he growled, unsheathing his broadsword.

The man in the front of the room spoke, his voice echoing smugly against the walls of the cave. "You have made yourselves enemies of the state," he smiled. It was not a nice smile. "Take them into custody."

As one, the Dai Li agents dropped into a circle around them. Zuko felt a flutter of panic within his stomach. Even when he was masquerading around earth kingdom as Lee, and couldn't bend in public, he still had the ability… if he wanted. Now, couldn't. All he had to bare was Sokka's slow reactions and this clunky sword.

The light from one of the torches reflected against the metal, highlighting the faded inscriptions. **Never give up without a fight.**

Zuko grit his teeth. He didn't intend too.

At once, the rock gloves shot out ready and open to ensnare. Zuko readied his sword, realizing that Katara was at his side with her water whip. She was covering his back, protecting her brother.

Somehow, Zuko couldn't ever imagine Azula doing the same thing.

He swung the sword, and the rock glove crumbled into tiny bits of dust. More Dai Li fell from the ceiling, to be dispatched by graceful cracks of Katara's water whip. Zuko moved in, cutting two gloved fists from the air before they could hit the Water Tribe girl.

Suddenly he felt a sharp tug on his tunic, and heard Katara cry out. Then they were both were sliding across the ground, being dragged back by two more Dai Li.

A flash of green behind him, and suddenly Toph slid to their rescue, erecting a giant stone wall to stop their path. Blocked, the gloves fell away, and Zuko and Katara leapt to their feet.

"Long Feng is escaping!" called Aang, from somewhere to the right.

Yet another Dai Li agent dropped before him, and Zuko had to nearly double over backwards to avoid being hit by his rock glove. "I'm kinda busy here!" he yelled back, annoyed.

He swept his foot forward, instinctively going into fire kata that would have shot a blast of flame. But Sokka's muscles and tendons didn't have the experience of literally years of repetitive practice. Zuko didn't get quite the form he wanted; his foot went wide, crunching into the Dai Li agent's knee.

The agent cried out in pain, collapsing and Zuko hit him on the head with the hilt of the broadsword. _Well, that'll work too._

He glanced over in time to see Toph in action. She was… scary, the way that she dispatched men twice her size with swats of her hand. The earth seemed to bend to her every will, shooting out rock columns left and right and turning against the Dai Li who attempted to wield it.

With a final crunch of stone the last agent was dispatched, and there was only silence and bits of floating dust in the cave.

Zuko did a swift headcount, and came up short. "Where are Jet and Aang?"

Toph pointed to the right. "In that room." Suddenly, she gasped, "something's wrong!"

He _knew_ it. This was a trap, and Jet was after the Avatar. Well, not if Zuko didn't get there first. Tightening his grip on the sword, he followed Toph at a quick run towards the far door.

Zuko could nearly feel his blood boil, and he knew that if he was in his own body steam would be rising from his nostrils. If Jet thought he was going to turn Aang in for some sort of petty reward, he had another thing coming. The prize of capturing the Avatar should be Zuko's.

As far as he was concerned, he and Jet had some unfinished business. And this time, Zuko intended to finish the fight.

Toph raised her hand and a door-shaped arch of stone lifted to her command.

As one, the group stepped forward, and stared.

The scene before them told the entire story. The rut in the floor ending with a wedge of upthrust stone… Aang kneeling by the broken form of Jet.

Somehow, Zuko's feet carried him with the others to a semi-circle around the fallen freedom fighter. Jet was still conscious, but the unevenness to his ribs spoke of massive damage within.

Katara gasped and brought her water to bare, kneeling down over Jet. They silently watched her work, and when she looked up, Zuko could read the truth in her blue eyes. "This isn't good."

Smellerbee spoke up. "You guys find Appa. We'll take care of Jet."

Zuko wanted to answer her, but he didn't know what to say. Just few moments ago he had been considering dueling the other boy, but seeing him dying on the ground was a whole different type of reality.

"We're not going to leave you!" said Katara.

"There's no time." Everyone turned to look in surprise at the normally silent archer. Longshot lifted his chin, his mouth set in a stubborn line. "Just go. We'll take care of him. He's our leader."

Jet smiled. That smug, confident smile that had grated Zuko's nerves a day ago now made his throat tighten. "Don't worry Katara, I'll be fine."

Katara nodded and got up. One by one they followed her out the door. Last to leave was Zuko. He swallowed, looking at the fighter. _I'm sorry_, he thought, before hurrying to catch up with Toph.

The little earthbender was silent for a few moments, and Zuko thought that she was young… far too young to see this sort of thing. "He's lying," she said, softly.

And Zuko could hear Smellerbee's broken sobs follow them out the door.

* * *

**OOOOOOOOO**

* * *

Appa growled and stomped his legs, straining against the confines of the three sets of thick chains.

Sokka's grin faltered. "Appa… it's me." He stepped forward, holding out his hands to show his friend that he meant no harm. It was on the tip of his tongue to spit it out; that he was Sokka and that they were getting out of here… but then he caught sight of the pale skin on his hands, and remembered what he must look like to the bison. The poor guy looked like been through enough as it was. There would be plenty of time to explain, later. "No one is going to hurt you, Appa. We're going home."

The bison hesitated, blinking his large brown eyes. After one final stamp of his feet, and a low groan he lowered his head to give Sokka a sniff. Gently, Sokka reached out to touch his muzzle.

The door behind him swished open. Sokka turned, automatically falling into a stance that Zuko's muscle memory knew, but he did not; one palm out, the other fist cocked.

General Iroh was standing in the doorway.

"What—" Stunned, Sokka straightened up, regarding him in shock. "How did you get in here?" A thought hit him, and he pointed an accusing finger at the aged man. "Have you been following me this whole time?"

The General stepped forward, letting the door close behind him; sealing them both in. "I had no choice, Nephew."

Seeing yet another enemy walk into the room, Appa let out another disgruntled roar. Quickly, Sokka moved out of his reach.

So, the General had probably known that Appa was here… he probably wanted to capture him, hurt him… Use him against Aang. Sokka should have known that the nice reformed firebender act was all a lie. "What are you doing here?" he demanded, and Zuko's voice was cold.

"I was just about to ask you the same thing." The General's voice, normally so calm and wise, grew harsher with each word. "What do you plan to do now that you have found the Avatar's bison? ‌ Keep it locked in our new apartment?‌ Should I go put on a pot of tea for him‌?"

Sokka stared at him for a moment, and then looked at Appa. The bison's lips were curled, snarling. He shook his head. "First I have to get him out of here."

"AND THEN WHAT?!" Iroh stepped forward, causing Sokka to take an alarmed step back towards the still snarling bison. "You never think these things through! This is exactly what happened when you captured the Avatar at the North Pole—"

"That's not — this isn't like that!"

The General kept advancing, backing Sokka up with each step until he was nearly in reach of Appa's knashing teeth. "You had him, and then you had no where to go!"

"No! You just… ugh!" Sokka could have screamed in frustration. He was trapped between an angry General and an angrier Appa. They both didn't understand. He was trying to help! "You don't know what you're talking about!"

"I'm begging you, Prince Zuko! Think about what you are about to do." The aged man looked at him with amber eyes, pleading. "Do you really think that the Spirits, in all of their wisdom, brought you back for this?"

Something pinged deep within Sokka's brain. A flash of faded forgotten memory danced before his eyes.

A stately man, garbed in brilliant robes of orange spoke from within his memories. _"You will glean some wisdom from this experience, but I will give you this one warning: no mortal soul is to find out what has happened, or I will bring my wrath upon you myself."_

Sokka turned his head away, "No…" He had to go back, didn't he? Katara, Aang, and Toph needed his help… he couldn't give them up…

"_Why_ were you brought back, Zuko?"

He closed his eyes, trying to shut away the pain, and the truth. He couldn't… he couldn't. "I don't know."

"I think you do."

Sokka did, too. He took a deep, shuttering breath, shaking his head. But he couldn't stop his own words. "They wanted me to live here." Opening his eyes, he stared at Zuko's pale hands. "Like this." As the Angry Jerk.

Iroh's next words were like a twisting knife, lancing out the infection that had been Sokka's own denial. "And do you truly think this business with the bison would be what the Spirits would want you to do with your second chance?"

Sokka wanted to shut out the General's words, but he knew they were true. And the knowledge felt like his heart was being ripped out of his chest. His family was lost to him now… the truth of it was that they had been lost to him the moment he had engaged Zuko in that stupid sword fight.

"_I feel most sorry for Aang, Katara, and Toph," Yue had said, "your fight cost them all."_

He started to shake, and if not for Iroh's steady hands, Sokka would have probably fallen down. As it was, he leaned against the General for support, shaking, wanting to cry, but knowing this was not the time. He had lost his sister, his friends, his father. Worst of all, he knew they needed him, and he could not be there… not anymore.

But there was still one thing he could do for them.

Sokka took a deep breath and straightened, wiping his watering good eye. "Uncle," he said, softly, defeated, "we need to let the bison go. The Avatar needs him."

To his relief, Iroh smiled and gave him a pat on his shoulder. Then he turned and went to Appa's side to start working on the chains.

Numbly, Sokka went to the other side. The bison was still, not understanding what had just happened, but knowing that these two people didn't mean him any harm. Sokka worked in a daze, pulling the locking pin out of the chains around Appa's legs.

Finally the bison was free. Sokka half expected him to take off right away, but to his surprise Appa turned towards him, as if to give him a lick. Then Sokka was hugging the giant head, pressing his face against the thick fur for the final time.

"Zuko," called Iroh, from behind Appa, "we should go."

Sokka nodded, even though Iroh couldn't see him from the other side of Appa's bulk. His grip tightened one last time on the bison. "Go on, buddy," he whispered, "Aang is waiting for you."

Then Sokka stepped back, and with a final groan, Appa pushed off from the stone floor with enough force to break through the stone ceiling. He was free.

* * *

**OOOOOOOOO**

* * *

Zuko's lungs were burning, and for what he felt like the thousandth time since this whole ridiculous incident happened, he cursed Sokka's untrained body. He had followed the Avatar to yet another disappointment — a room devoid of a bison. They had gotten there too late.

And now they were running for their lives from more Dai Li agents than Zuko could easily count.

Feet pounding the shore of Lake Laogai, he risked a chance behind him and saw even more agents pouring out of the hidden stone hatch.

Aang was running by his side, and Zuko shot him a look, remembering vividly another time when he and the Avatar were outnumbered and fighting side by side. They had made it, but then again, he was — literally — a different person. "Do you think we can fight them all?" he panted.

Aang's eyes never left the path ahead, and his face took on a grim look. "I don't think we'll have a choice."

Following his gaze, Zuko saw what was quickly becoming a regular sight. A smug faced man — what had Aang called him; Long Feng — stood before them, backed by a small army of Dai Li agents.

The Avatar's group came to a halt, and with a raised gesture the Dai Li in front of them lifted a stone wall at least thirty feet high. A rumble of stone them told Zuko that the Dai Li behind them had done the same thing. They were boxed in.

Zuko felt his expression harden. They were trapped, with nowhere to go… but he was not going to go down without a fight.

A flash of white caught the corner of his eye, and he saw the annoying lemur fly down and perch itself on the Avatar's shoulder. It twittered urgently.

"What is it, Momo?" asked the Avatar, as if the stupid beast was actually capable of communication.

Zuko turned to him. "Aang, this is not the time! See if—" but the lemur had jumped off of Aang's shoulder with another agitated twitter, and the Avatar's gaze followed him… it seemed almost as if the lemur were trying to head into the sun itself…

And suddenly, something very large was barreling upon them.

"Appa!" cried Aang.

Zuko watched, in slack jawed amazement as the ten-ton beast crashed through the two rock walls as if they were nothing, scattering powerful Dai Li agents as if they were rag dolls. The beast turned and came to rest in front of Long Feng, who, for some reason, launched a kick at it. The bison caught his foot in his blunt teeth, and it only took one twist of his head to send the man flying out into the lake waters.

The gang were running towards the bison, throwing themselves on it in a rejoicing hug. Zuko hung back slightly, awkwardly patting one of the animal's forelimbs.

"I missed you, buddy." Aang said from his position on the bison's forehead, and Appa closed his eyes, rumbling in contentment.

"Guys!" Katara was the first to break the reunion, pointing out to the lake water. "Look!" Most of the Dai Li were struggling to shore, looking water logged and ready for another fight.

With an effortless leap, the airbender alighted to the sky-bison's head and reached down, helping Katara up first. "We need to leave."

Zuko hesitated. He had never ridden a sky-bison, of course, and could see that the thing didn't have its saddle. But Toph was now climbing onboard, and the agents were nearly at the shore. There was no other choice. Grabbing onto one of the horns, Zuko pulled himself up.

With a mighty leap and a downward stroke of his beaver-like tail, Appa launched into the air… and they were flying.

A grin lit up his face, and in a corner of his mind he hoped that the others would just pass it off as happiness from having the bison back. The wind whipped at his pulled-back hair, the sun was warm on his back, and they flew over the large waters of the lake, wholly above everyone else.

This was freedom.

He glanced over, eager to share his enthusiasm, and saw Katara peering out into the water, a sad look upon her lovely dark features. It didn't take a genius to know that she was thinking about Jet.

Again, Zuko hesitated. But he laid a hand on her shoulder anyway. "Hey, it's—"

Katara shifted, turning the small gesture into a hug as she buried her face up against what she thought was her big brother's neck. Awkwardly, Zuko wrapped his arms around her, returning the gesture. Then arms were embracing him from behind and the side as Aang and Toph joined in on a group hug. With another chitter, Momo landed on Zuko's shoulder.

Zuko stiffened, but then sighed, bowing his head.

* * *

**OOOOOOOOO**

* * *

**Notes**: Land of the Midnight Sun is apparently a very popular Southern Water Tribe drinking song. Lol

**And to my very, very, very cool reviewers: **

Party in the Afterlife: Thanks! I'm working hard to keep it original. Thanks for your comment.

3VAD127: I have to agree with you on letting it kind of flow in its own direction. I'm going to see if I can balance out both, but you're right… we've all seen the eps so many times and I don't want to just rehash that.

Minathia: I'm a huge sucker for Ron/Draco fics. It's so hard to find good ones, but when you do… oh man, they're good.

Smitti: Thanks! I hope this chapter didn't disappoint.

Bluetiger: Your review made me snicker evilly. The Zutara cave in this story is just… wrong. Thanks your cool review (and for putting those images into my mind! Lol!) :P

Firebender01: Hey you're welcome! I gotta say… it's fun to write! I hope you liked this!

Shinimegami7: Happy late birthday! I hope it was a good one for you!

Wren Sharpbeak: Thanks, Wren! I thought that Sokka would be the hardest to write, but he's turning out to be the most fun. And I have to agree with you… its awkward rewriting the show. I thought long and hard about it, and the next few chapters will definitely have elements of the show, but not to this degree.

Omnicat: Lol! You are not a bad reviewer. Thanks for your thoughts!

tomorrow4eva: Hehe. I'm not saying anything about Iroh. Evil grin. I noticed that about Zuko's scar in the cartoon, too. People act like it's not really noticeable, but it kinda is. oO.

Katkid: I am sneaky with my updates like a ninja. Hehe. Thanks for your review, and look for more firebending soonish!

ME: Woot! I think I'm four for four with your thumbs up. :) Glad you liked it!

Yersi Fanel: Thanks! I think Zuko would bond with Toph first out of all of them, because of their non history. Thanks for your review!

Joshrandom: Thanks for your thoughts! I think Zuko's pain… well, I won't go into it here, but he'll get his chance to feel the pressure of being Sokka soonish. Hehe.

Mellyna: Aw, thanks for your support! I hope you like this chapter!

OveractiveImagination39: Woot! I love your reviews so much! I have got to check out Dr Who one of these days, because people keep recommending the show. Anyway, thanks again! Your review put a smile on my face.

**Thanks again, everyone!**


	6. The Stage is Set

**Notes:** Hey guys! Sorry about the wait on this. I guess everyone has chapters every once in awhile where everything you write doesn't work. I had to rewrite this thing, like, four times. To be honest, I'm still not completely happy. It was hard getting the guys in the state of mind I wanted. Anyway, enjoy the fic!

* * *

**OOOOOOOO**

* * *

Somehow, Sokka forced himself to keep moving, to keep walking with Iroh back to the lower rings. His head hurt where he had been struck by the Dai Li agent, his arm screamed in pain, and he was sore and tired from running on an adrenaline high all day.

But it was nothing, _nothing_ compared to the ache in his heart.

Finally, sometime after the sun had set and Yue had risen and cast her cold light over the city, they made it back to the apartment.

"You did the right thing, Nephew," said Iroh as they walked through the door.

Sokka nodded wearily. It was strange how so much had gone on in the last few hours… yet the apartment was the same as he left it. Looking around, he noted objects half packed and ready to go to the move. He hadn't really bothered, thinking that he wouldn't be returning.

The walls started to blur, and for a moment Sokka felt so dizzy and sick he thought that he might faint. "I… I don't feel good." He made a grab for a nearby table, and missed, upsetting the vase and making it crash to the floor.

"Zuko!" Iroh yelled out, startled, and came rushing over to help him, but Sokka shook his head and waved him off. Bracing himself against the wall, Sokka hung his head down, concentrating on just breathing.

FLASH

He was a little boy again, laughing while he was chasing chicken-penguins chicks. He made a grab for one, and slipped on the ice, skinning his knee. It hurt. Suddenly Katara was there too; shoveling cold snow over his leg with her hands and numbing the wound… it didn't hurt much anymore.

FLASH

Appa was shedding all over the place, and Sokka got a great idea for a beard. Aang scooped together a bundle to make an enormous bison-wig. They were pointing at each other, laughing so hard he thought he was going to be sick.

"I'm just glad we finally have another girl in the group because you two are disgusting." Katara sniped, from the side. But he knew she was trying not to laugh.

Then Toph walked between them all. "Excuse me, does anyone have a razor?" She lifted her arms high above her head revealing a mass of Appa hair stuck in her robe, "because I got some hair-y pits!"

FLASH

His father, brave and strong stood tall over him, a sad look on his face. He put a warm hand on his shoulder. "Sokka, I'm leaving you in charge while I'm gone. Take care of your sister."

FLASH

Sokka took one shuddering breath after another, feeling tears drip down the unscarred eye to his nose. He could feel Iroh hovering behind him, knew he was probably acting all out of character for the Angry Jerk, but he didn't care. Zuko didn't just lose his family. He, Sokka, did.

No, Prince Scar-Face's family was probably waiting for him back home in some sort of Palace. As soon as Zuko was done with his little "honor quest" he would be able to go back to them…. Once he regained his honor…. His honor?

Sokka never thought about it before, and now that he did he found that it distracted him a little from his misery. Mysteries always did. What exactly did Zuko do to lose his honor in the first place? Knowing him, he probably started a fight in the middle of fancy banquet, or something equally jerky.

"Uncle," wiping his eye, he straightened, feeling muscles scream out in protest. How long had he been standing there like that? It didn't matter. "When I lost my honor…" he trailed off, not exactly sure how phrase it. He saw how anxious Iroh's face was, though, and decided he should make it as open ended as possible. "What happened?"

Iroh's lips pressed in a thin line, but Sokka could see his hands twitch under the folds of his long robes. For some reason this was making him nervous. Maybe it was something they never talked about. "You know what happened, Nephew."

Sokka decided to make a stab in the dark, hoping he would land on something useful. "I know what I was told, but now I want to hear it. From you."

He and the General locked gazes, and Sokka made sure that Iroh was the first to look away. If he was going to live forever like this, as this person, he needed some answers. Like, now.

Finally, Iroh spoke. "After the Agni Kai, you were feverishly ill for days."

_Agni Kai?_ Sokka didn't know what it was, but kept his face impassive, wanting the General to say more.

"Zuko… I admit that I lied after you woke up." Again Iroh's eyes were on him, "Ozai did not come to visit you. Not once."

Father's didn't do that. Sokka couldn't even imagine his father ever… Not even once? "Did he even care if I died?" he demanded.

"I would like to think so." Iroh closed his eyes, "I know that you didn't want to hear this, but you did the right thing in not fighting, then. Your mother would have been proud." Iroh paused, and then straightened, again not the doddering old man but the official General, "Just as I am proud of your actions today."

_Your mother would have. _Past tense. Well, that was something it seemed that he and Zuko had in common. Sokka swallowed, and nodded. Still feeling a big fragile, he didn't trust himself to say anything more on the matter.

He excused himself to the sleeping room, and lay down on the familiar pallet, staring up at the darkened ceiling for a long, long time before sleep claimed him.

* * *

**OOOOOOOO**

* * *

_Eyes staring straight ahead, Zuko stepped onto the dark marble palace floor. It was strange how he never noticed how much heat was reflected back by the flames that ringed the Fire Lord. He could feel the heat on his cheeks, feel it tighten the skin around his eyes._

_He heard a muffled gasp behind him, and gave a hard tug to the rope in his hand. Bound with hands behind his back and chain anklets restricting his steps, the Avatar had no choice but to limp after him. His grey eyes were wide, round with fear, but Zuko chose not to pay attention._

_He was almost there. He wasn't going to have any incidents now. _

"_NO!" Katara's cry echoed against the palace walls. Zuko turned and gestured for the soldier to restrain the girl and replace the gag in her mouth. The waterbender struggled, tears streaming down her cheeks. "Sokka, please!"_

_A stab of regret pierced his heart. Zuko closed his eyes for a moment, gathering himself before he turned to her. Her hair was wild, her mouth contorted in what could almost have been a soundless scream. Zuko could barely meet her eyes. "I have to do this," he murmured. _

"_This is your family!"_

"_I'm not Sokka, you idiot!" he snapped, but now Aang stood next to him, free of his bounds. _

"_Do you think that if we knew each other back then, we would be friends?" The Avatar asked, with a wistful smile._

_Zuko shook his head, glancing once more at the throne. The Fire Lord was there, behind the flames, watching impassively. "Father! I am your loyal son. I brought back the Avatar… I have restored my honor."_

_The flickering orange flames parted, and immediately Zuko recoiled in horror. Instead of Ozai, Iroh sat on the throne. His eyes, normally so kind, glowed an unearthly bright orange. "Do you truly believe it is my wish for you to capture the reincarnated spirit of the planet and throw the entire world out of balance? Tell me that you are not that great of a fool."_

* * *

Zuko woke up with a strangled gasp. "Uncle—" He stopped, immediately aware that he might have just given himself away.

But the dim light of early dawn and the ringing snores around assured him that he was the only one awake. It was a rare occasion to wake up before the Avatar and his companions. Taking deep, calming breaths, he brushed his brown hair out of his eyes.

Katara was asleep next to him. He didn't remember it happening, could barely remember through the haze of his own exhaustion as the Avatar finally found a small island out in the middle of the wide lake and settled down to camp for the night.

The Water Tribe girl murmured something in her sleep, and Zuko edged away from her, feeling nervous. Being careful not to nudge Katara on his right, or Aang on his left, he got up, needing to walk away from the camp, needing to be alone.

Maybe at any other time, he would have finally been able to put his plan into fruition. The little earthbender was snoring loudly, her feet propped off the ground by a rock pillow. He could quietly wake The Avatar, find some excuse to lead him away, capture him and hijack the bison.

But the images of disturbing dream clung to him like the damp mists of Lake Laogai. He shivered, chilled both by the misty fog around him, and the voices that still echoed around in his head; the feelings of despair and guilt.

He wanted his destiny. He wanted his throne, but at the same time he wanted… to be happy.

And that voice… that voice that had not been Uncle's voice haunted him worst of all. Even above Katara's gut-retching scream, "This is your family!"

Zuko knew, somehow, that he had heard that phrase before. Where? When? He couldn't place it, but the impact of it had felt to his dream-self like a punch to his gut.

He sat down on the dewy grass under an old moon-peach tree, pulling his tanned legs against his chest, and leaning against the gnarled trunk with a long sigh. The cold air was numbing his nose and his fingers… he could really use a breath of fire right now.

There was so much that had happened, and so much that was in balance… the imminent raid on his home country, his quest for capturing the Avatar, Jet's death… it was all running together, and Zuko didn't know what to do about any of it.

What would Uncle say in this situation?

Zuko let his eyes go unfocused, looking but at the same time not looking at the blank wall of fog, thinking back on three years of wisdom which he had tried very hard to ignore. "Nephew," he said, and the word sounded so wrong with Sokka's voice, "destiny can be a funny thing. It is like a great river, often leading you in one direction before turning and sweeping you off in the next until you come to a great waterfall and… uh…" he trailed off. He wasn't so good at this.

Once again he wondered what his uncle was up too right at this moment, and if he okay.

The fog was getting thinner around him, and when he glanced towards the east he could see Agni starting to make his long ascent into the sky. It wasn't something he could feel, it was now something he had to actively look for, cut off from his Elemental Spirit as he now was.

He heard the sound of laughter being carried by the light breeze. The Avatar's companions were obviously waking up. He should go back.

With another sigh, he reached behind his head and pulled Sokka's hair back away from his face with a band he kept on his wrist. Scrubbing at his face, he remembered that Sokka also of a mustache on his upper lip that needed to be shaved every morning. This never failed to annoy Zuko. He was at least a year older, and clearly more mature, yet that had not happened to him yet.

With Sokka's sharp knife, he took care of the mustache problem. Then, after a few minutes of… other hygiene business, returned to the camp.

The first thing he saw was the Avatar laughing, dancing a silly little dance around the great bison. He was making a game out of keeping just out of Appa's reach while the bison seemed intent on licking him.

A strange nauseous feeling settled in the pit of his stomach as he remembered what Aang had looked like, in chains.

_The Avatar is not a kid._ Zuko reminded himself, with a frown. How many times had he told himself that when he had his battleship, and his weak guilt would start to eat away at his better nature? _That's just the shell I'm seeing._ _He's as much of a kid as I am a turtle-duck._

"Sokka!" Zuko turned to see Katara waving him over. "Here," she pressed two round rocks in his hand. "Go build a fire, and I'll see if there's anything to forage. Maybe I can get Momo to catch us some fish."

Zuko stared at the rocks in his palm, and then closed his fingers over them. "Sure. Start a fire. That'll be easy, right?" He grumbled under breath as he searched out the brush for kindling and dry pine needles. Lumping them into a sloppy pile, he knelt down and studied the rocks again. He had seen Uncle start fires like a nonbender a couple of times in the apartment, but he himself had never bothered. For him, it was just a quick breath, and a slight push of his hand and then… fire.

Zuko struck the rocks against one another once, and then again a bit harder when nothing happened. A harder hit produced useless little sparks that fizzled out about an inch away from his hand. No good.

In annoyance, he struck the rocks harder and harder together until his fingers slipped and he bashed one knuckle. "Ow!" He rung his hand and sucked at the wound. This was stupid. He shouldn't have to start fires like a weak commoner. If this was how everyone else had to do it… it was completely ridiculous. He had fire inside of him, right?

But when he punched his fist into the mass of pine needles and sticks and tried to heat it out of will alone… but try as he might, he couldn't find that connection, that fire that had once been part of him. With the exception of getting his hand prickled by needles and twigs, nothing happened.

Fire was who he was, and it shouldn't have mattered which body he had. It was part of his spirit, his soul.

Azula's voice broke into his mind, young, mocking. _Give it up, dum-dum. You weren't much of a bender, anyway. Maybe the Water Tribe boy will have more success in your body._

"Are you still building the fire?" Katara's voice broke over his shoulder. She and Toph were standing behind him, arms full of large logs.

Zuko's temper broke. "You want a fire so bad, Katara?!" He yelled, and threw the two spark rocks into the vegetation. "YOU DO IT!" He couldn't take it anymore. He couldn't take being around… _them_. Turning around, he stomped off to the lakeshore.

The two girls stared after him, Katara's mouth open in surprise.

"What's wrong with him all a sudden?" Toph asked.

The waterbender's jaw set, and her eyes narrowed. "I don't know."

* * *

**OOOOOOOO**

* * *

Sokka woke up with a gasp. He sat up in bed, clutching his chest, drenched from head to toes in sweat, feeling like he was on fire from the inside. Resting on one elbow, he took one ragged breath after another, slowly trying to calm the insistent burning.

He could hear Zuko's uncle snoring on the other side of the room, and after a few minutes when his heart no longer felt like it was trying to beat its way out of his chest, he rolled out of the pallet and stood up. The room swayed around him, but Sokka forced himself to shake it off and stumbled to the front room, closing the door behind him.

He hadn't been dreaming, which was a blessing in itself. Actually, now that he thought about it, he hadn't ever dreamed while in Zuko's body. Maybe the firebender was too unimaginative to dream. Or maybe he didn't sleep deep enough.

Sokka glanced at the time piece, noting with a low groan that it was still the middle of the night. No wonder Zuko was always such a jerk all the time. He had to be sleep deprived. Before this whole mess happened, Sokka had only been up before the sun a handful of times in his life… This wasn't natural.

He stood in the front room, feeling almost as if his chest had been laid bare open and his heart cut out. Gone… his family was gone from him now, and he literally _burned_ from the pain of being cut off…

… of being _banished _from them.

Sokka's left arm ached, which was no surprise seeing what he had put it through the last few days. Sokka vaguely remembered Iroh saying that he had some sort of willow-bark powder that would help with pain. He went for that now, digging out the General's old favorite teapot to infuse the powder. If he was going to live like Zuko, he supposed he had better get used to tea… even if he couldn't bring himself to love it as much as Iroh.

As he searched around for spark rocks (and then later cursed himself, remembering that — of course — they didn't need any) an idea struck him, out of nowhere. It lit in his mind like a small spark, and flickered to life, slowly taking shape.

Sokka held the teapot, a frown crossing his face as he twisted the thing back and forth. Simple design, really… but… could it be improved upon?

The thought, and the challenge of a puzzle, dulled some of the aching pain in his heart, and he quickly hunted around for a bit of paper and an ink-brush. In his own body, he was ambidextrous — writing with his right hand, but drawing with his left. Zuko, it seemed, was the same. Strange.

The more he concentrated, the less the ache in his heart. Sokka sat on the floor, considering the principles behind the design. It would have to be powered by steam — he considered himself an expert on the power of water.

Water — Katara… no. He wouldn't think about it. Not right now. Stubbornly setting his jaw, he forced himself from thinking about his family. No. Logic now, emotions later.

He had to unpack about half of the things that were already put away before he could locate two apprentice-grade mason jars. The shape was wrong for what he needed, and it was only by looking at the two jars in Zuko's pale hands that he realized he had the means to reshape them; heat.

Sokka set to work.

* * *

**OOOOOOOO**

* * *

Katara was just beginning to dish out the food when the vegetation nearby cracked, and Sokka reappeared, looking haggard and worn. Despite her earlier annoyance, she felt her heart go out to her big brother. They were all dealing with Jet's death in their own ways, and apparently Sokka's way to go sulk by the lake. She knew that he thought of himself as their leader. He was probably taking it to heart.

So, instead of reprimanding him like she had planned on doing, she offered a tentative smile and handed out a stick with a roasted banana on it. "Breakfast?"

He came up short, looking at her almost as if he was expecting to be yelled at as well. But Sokka was Sokka, and with a half shrug he took the stick and took his seat across the fire from everyone else.

Katara took her own and decided to sit next to him, letting him know that she was there, if he wanted to talk. In the meantime, now that the family was together they had to decide what to do next. Since Sokka didn't seem to be in the mood to lead, it fell to her. "I say that we clean up camp after we eat and put as much space between us and this horrible city as possible."

"I'm with Sweetness," muttered Toph, from around her banana.

"What?" To her surprise, her brother straightened up and looked around at them all. "No, we can't leave yet."

Katara shot him a look. "Why not?"

Aang jumped in, his mouth full of banana making words slightly garbled. "Noaw tha weh.." he stopped and swallowed, smiling. "Now that we have Appa back, there is nothing stopping us from telling the Earth king the truth about the conspiracy and the war."

"Aang, Long Feng is control of the city. His conspiracy with the Dai Li is too powerful." Katara shook her head, "The King is just a puppet under his control. Even if we did tell him… what could he do?"

"That's not right." Sokka stood up, suddenly agitated for a reason that Katara couldn't guess. He paced back and forth before looking into the fire for a long moment. All of them were silent, watching him curiously. There was no doubt about it; he had been acting strange lately. But when he spoke it was with a confident, steely air. The Sokka that she knew. "A Lord or King shouldn't be just a figurehead — it makes the country weak. If Long Feng somehow stole power from him then it'll make Ba Sing Se easier for the Fire Nation to invade. There will be cracks where there shouldn't be cracks, and eventually it will fall, and all of those refugees…" he trailed off, and then looked towards Aang. "You can't let that happen."

Aang nodded once and stood up. "You're right." Then, turning he addressed Katara and Toph. "Long Feng killed Jet. Unless he isn't stopped now he will hurt and kill other people."

Katara looked down at the ground, feeling a wave of sadness sweep over her. She shouldn't have been so hard on Jet, she should have trusted that he had changed. Now, it was too late. "Okay." She looked to the Toph who had been silent so far. "So?"

The earthbender shrugged, clearly not happy, but willing to go along. "So what do we do? Just blast our way in there?"

Sokka shook his head. "No, Long Feng would have made it back to the palace right by now. They probably have three or four safe places to hide the Earth King if he knew we were trying to break in. We need to find a different way."

"Okay, how?" asked Aang.

There was a moment of silence until Sokka spoke, offering tentivily, "I think I might have an idea…" again, he trailed off, frowning to himself.

"Well, what is it, Snoozles?" asked Toph.

Sokka took a deep breath as if gathering himself. "It's not going to be easy, but I think we're going to need help. Aang, you and I are going to need to do the first part." He paused, and from the slightly unfocused look in his eyes, Katara got the impression that whatever he was thinking was reminding him of something happy and painful. It was the same look he got on his face when he talked about Dad. "Aang, you and I are going to go shopping."

* * *

**OOOOOOOO**

* * *

"What are you doing, Nephew?"

Sokka would have startled, but he was up to his elbows in his new contraption and was wary of knocking over one of the shaped jars he had just spent hours improving. He glanced over his shoulder, and saw the General standing in the doorway to the sleeping quarters. His yellow eyes taking in the sight of inked drawing scattered here and there, and the boy he thought was his nephew knelt over an ugly sight of jars and tubing.

Well, it was just a proto-type after all.

"I couldn't sleep." Sokka said, screwing in the last jar. He sat back, looking over his night's work with something akin to a smile on his face. It felt strange to smile, like he shouldn't have the right to do it, in his situation. "What do you think?"

"It's…." Iroh trailed off, and came over to stand next to him. "What is it?"

"Your new tea-maker." Sokka said proudly. He got only stunned silence in return, but he was far from caring. "I thought that when you opened your Tea Shop that it might help to brew in bulk." Reaching over, he grabbed a ladle from the bucket and poured water into the first jar before recapping it. Then, with a casual flick of his hand, he lit a small fire. Within a few moments the water began to steam and boil, rushing through the tubing and into a small basket before settling in a far jar. "You put your tea leaves in here," Sokka explained, tapping the basket, "and the water sort of filters through. You can adjust it for how strong you need it, depending on the filter."

Iroh sat down to study the machine, an unreadable expression on his face. He glanced from Sokka to the jars and back again, and then reached out to pat him on the shoulder. "It is good to see you have found a passion, Nephew. I think this will go very well in the Jasmine Dragon."

Sokka grinned, an action which he saw clearly startled the old General. He didn't care. The Spirits wanted him to be Zuko, but he was going to be Zuko his way. And as long as he kept his mind firmly fixed in logic, and not thinking about his family — it was nearly bearable.

The next morning broke too early over Merchant Square in Ba Sing Se for Zuko's liking. It seemed like ever since he had been put in this body, he didn't want to wake up. Rubbing sleep out of his eyes, he casually walked to the opening stalls, checking out equipment that caught his eye.

Hmm… sturdy net, fireproof rope, tekko-kagi claws… where was the Avatar?

Casting around, he finally spotted him at a funny hat shop. "Aang!" he barked, "will you focus?"

The Avatar turned around. He had a gaudy hat about two times the size of his head on, with bells and colorful ribbons that stuck out in every direction. "What do you think, Sokka?" he asked, pointing to the monstrosity.

"Ridiculous." Zuko sighed, and turned back around to the stall. Maybe if he had a leash…

The Avatar joined his side a few minutes later, horrible hat switched back to a less colorful low brimmed one, lips pulled down in a frown. "You used to think that stuff was funny."

"Apparently," growled Zuko, "I was an idiot." Out of the corner of his eye, he caught Aang's shoulder's drop. An unexpected pang of guilt hit the former firebender. "Just… come on." He added, in a kindler tone, grabbing the monk's sleeve and dragging him to the side.

"What are we looking for anyway?" wondered Aang.

But Zuko already spotted it. With a nod in the direction, he set off and within a few moments started pawing through the stall's wares. "How much for this thing?" he asked, getting the merchant's attention.

The merchant, a balding man with a long stomach, raised both his eyebrows. "You just need a white lotus tile?"

"I have an incomplete set."

The merchant reached up, scratching his thick head of steel gray hair. Then, with a shrug he said, "One copper piece."

"So now what?" Aang asked, after the new tile was brought and paid for.

Zuko had to admit that he was wondering the same thing. To say that this was a long-shot was to put it lightly. The truth was, he only had a vague idea of where to go from here, and the chances of failing were very great.

He glanced at the Avatar, and noted that the chances of finding him in the first place had been very small as well. But he'd done it, hadn't he? And he was working on a plan to finish his quest… right now he had to think about Uncle. If this last stronghold of the Earth Kingdom fell… Uncle would truly have nowhere to go. Zuko now knew how hard it was outside the walls of this city for Fire Nation refugees, how lucky they had been to get here in the first place.

It had been that memory that had inspired this half baked plan.

"So now," he said, clutching the white lotus tile in the palm of his hand, "we go play Pai Sho."

"Pai Sho?"

"Well…" Zuko paused, wondering how much he should tell the Avatar, if anything at all. How would he believe that Sokka the oaf knew anything of secret societies and crazy gambling games? "Someone once told me that Pai Sho is more than just a game. I think it's time to test out that theory."

He could feel the Avatar's eyes on him, could feel the questions burning within. After a moment, though, the young monk nodded. After all, he trusted his friend.

The park was not far away and Zuko led Aang to one of the far off corners where he knew Uncle had come to play Pai Sho on his days off. He was a little disappointed that he wasn't there today, but knew it was probably for the best. It would be painful — very painful to see him again, like this.

With the Avatar is tow, he stood watching the Pai Sho players, trying to pick out who was the true master here. It would do him no good at all to waste his time on a novice. After a couple of minutes his attention fell to an old man at one of the corner tables. He sat with arms folded into his robes, waiting with the type of ancient patience that only seemed to come to the old. No one was engaging him in play… hopefully, Zuko thought, because they were afraid to lose.

Catching the Avatar's attention, he pointed to the old man. "Him." And with that, he walked over. The lotus tile felt slick with sweat in his hands, and he was straining to remember exactly what his Uncle had said.

"Can I have this game?" he asked.

The old man smiled, and Zuko could see the way his head trembled with the shaking of the old, but when he spoke his voice was strong and clear. "Certainly, young man. It is nice to see the younger generation take such an interest in the game. Have a seat." He gestured to the stool. "The guest has the first move."

Zuko took his seat, trying to look as casual as possible. This being a public game, his tiles were already set up and waiting. He reached for none of them, instead sticking his white lotus tile right in the center.

"Sokka…" The Avatar groaned, "That's not even a move."

The old man's eyes went wide, just for a second. "Ah," he said, "the white lotus gambit." Then a shaking hand was offered, palm up. "Not many cling to the ancient ways."

And suddenly Zuko was not at the park in Ba Sing Se. He was back in that dusty hole-in-the-wall bar in the Earth Kingdom Desert, watching his Uncle from the side. Later on, he would reflect that it probably was one of Uncle's crazy schemes to let him watch this process, in case Zuko himself would ever need it in the future. Now, though he simply copied the old man's gesture by putting out his palm and nodding his head. "Those who do can always find a friend."

"Then let us play."

The old man's move was to put a white lily tile on one of the connecting corners. Zuko followed his example, laying a jasmine tile on the opposite side.

He saw the Avatar's mouth open several times, looking like he wanted to ask a question. But after a moment he took his seat, hands cradling his chin, watching the crazy display with half hooded eyes.

It wasn't easy, and a couple of times Zuko had to guess where to lay the tiles, but eventually a geometric pattern emerged, copying the shape of the white lotus in the middle.

Finally, all the tiles were on the board and Zuko sat back. The old man watched him for a moment, face impassive, before nodding. "Welcome, brother. The White Lotus opens wide to those who know her secrets. Forgive me, but you seem… a little young for our membership."

"Uh," Zuko scratched the short hair on the back of his head, casting a quick glance at Aang. "Well, I'm sort of a new initiate."

"I see."

There was a heady silence, and Zuko cast about desperately for something to say. Both the Avatar and the old Pai Sho player were looking at him, expecting him to continue. He was never good at improvisation, preferring to get right to the point of things. "Look, I — we need your help." He said, with a glance at Aang. "We need to find a way to speak to the Earth King."

"The Earth King is surrounded by many levels of security," said the old man, serenely, "it will be difficult."

"I know. That's why we came to you." Zuko didn't like the way the old man was regarding him, as if he was a young child playing dress-up in an adult world. He had been treated with disgust, fear, and sometimes even respect, but he hadn't been treated like a child for a long time. Not since the Agni Kai. Time to bring out his own trump card. "This," he said, pointing to Aang, "is the Avatar."

On cue, Aang pushed up the low brow hat he was wearing, reveling the point of his arrow tattoo. He grinned and gave a little wave.

"He has important business to discuss with the Earth King," continued Zuko, "Now are you going to help us or not?"

He reached for the White Lotus tile in the middle of the board. The old man caught his wrist before he could grab it, moving faster than Zuko expected. "As I said, the Earth King is surrounded by many levels of security. It will be difficult," the old man held his gaze, unblinking, "but not impossible. Come with me."

With that, he rose. Zuko and Aang exchanged a look, and then followed.

The Prince and the Avatar followed the old man out of the park and back to the twisty streets of Ba Sing Se. Zuko kept glancing at Aang, waiting for the boy to show more of his childish behavior and start asking awkward questions. But if the Avatar was confused, he didn't show it. He followed along beside Zuko, casually tapping the airstaff out in front of him, as serene as he would imagine any monk to be.

The old man turned right, stopping at a ramshackle old building. He raised one papery fist and knocked once, twice, and a small wooden board slid to the right to reveal a pair of suspicious eyes.

"Who knocks at the guarded gate?"

The old man motioned to Zuko, one eyebrow raised as if in challenge, but he was ready for this. Stepping forward, Zuko answered in a low voice, "One who has eaten the fruit and tasted its mysteries."

The door opened. Zuko and Aang stepped forward, but the old man held out a hand, stopping the Avatar. "It's members only."

"He is the Avatar. He is coming with me." Zuko growled. There was no way that he was going to leave the Avatar outside with the Dai Li probably on high alert while he went in and gabbed with boring old men. Besides, if there was trouble he wanted all the fire power he could on his side — no pun intended.

"This is… highly unusual." The old man said, then glanced inside. "I must discuss this with my brothers. Both of you, wait out here."

The moment the door closed, Aang turned and Zuko braced himself for a flurry of sharp questions that was sure to come.

"Wow, Sokka! That was great!"

"Wha- really?" He stared at the Avatar in surprise, noting the wide smile on the monk's face. Despite himself, he felt a flush of pride.

"Yeah." Aang nodded enthusiastically, "So, are these guys going to fight with us or something? Do they have some ancient secret bending techniques?" He mimed a few punches in the air, tongue sticking out of the corner of his mouth.

"Uh…" Zuko's face fell. He glanced towards the door. It was still shut, and he hoped no one was listening from the other side. "Well, er, I don't know... I kind of didn't know this would even work, and this is sort of further than I thought we would get." Again, he glanced towards the door, and reached up, scratching the back of his head.

"Oh." Aang was clearly disappointed, but then he smiled again. "Well you'll think of something."

"Look, Aang, you can't tell Katara or Toph about any of this." His words came out fast and about a thousand times more awkward then what they had sounded like in his head. Inwardly, Zuko winced.

Sure enough, the little Avatar looked taken aback. "What? Why not?"

"Because this," he made a vague waive with his hand towards the door, trying to look casual, and knowing he was failing, "is a secret society. It's been in my family for generations, and… they wouldn't understand."

"Sokka, Katara is your family."

"The male-side of the family." Zuko invented, quickly.

Doubt colored the Avatar's face, but before he could answer the wooden door opened again, and a gnarled hand beckoned them in. "Come inside, both of you. The streets are not safe for the Avatar and his companion."

Zuko scowled. He was not the Avatar's companion. This was… a truce, more or less. Until he could be assured of his uncle's safety in the city. Still, with a glance towards Aang, he followed.

He expected the inside to be shabby, and he wasn't disappointed. A ring of men, none younger than forty, sat ringed around a giant Pai Sho table. At Zuko and Aang's entrance, they all stood in respect. One of them, a man with a head as bald as Aang's with a gap toothed smile, addressed them. "Brother Renuk has informed me that the Avatar requires our assistance."

"We need to get to the Earth King." Zuko said, "We need to tell him of the conspiracy with the Dai Li."

There was a slight pause as each of the old men looked at one another. Then the eldest of them spoke. "Even as a new initiate, you should know that the White Lotus is a very old society. We have members from the three remaining nations. Water Tribe," the man pointed a finger at Zuko, and then gestured to himself, "and Earth Kingdom. We even have very esteemed members of the Fire Nation to grace our numbers. We do not involve ourselves in the matter of politics." His arms opened wide, gesturing to himself and his fellows, before he sat down. "We are above that."

Zuko grit his teeth. He didn't know what annoyed him more; the old man's refusal, or the reminder that he was in a Water Tribe'ers body. He opened his mouth to tell them exactly what he thought of their club, but Aang stepped forward, cutting him off.

"Pai Sho is a game of harmony," the young Avatar said, with a respectful bow to the elders at the table. "The ways the monks taught me to play was to find the strength of opposites, and keep the balance."

The elders were silent, so Aang took that as a signal to go on. "I'm not trying to undo all the good work here, but Ba Sing Se is the last Earth Kingdom stronghold, and right now Long Feng is putting that in danger. If this city falls, then the whole world will truly be out of balance and that will end up hurting the Fire Nation, too."

Zuko stood rooted to the spot. It was almost as if the Avatar were speaking to him, speaking to his fears. Was he telling the truth? He had to be, because he had heard much the same from his Uncle. Somehow, the words had more weight in this room. He spoke, "The Earth King must be told of the conspiracy. The longer this goes on, the weaker he is and the more chance the Fire Nation has to get in."

The men looked at one another. A couple were scowling, but most were nodding in agreement. Finally the bald one stood and spoke. "Avatar, we can get you and your friend in the palace walls, but no further. The rest, I'm afraid, will be up to you."

"Thank you." Aang bowed to them, and Zuko did the same, inwardly wondering what he had just gotten himself into.

* * *

**OOOOOOOO**

* * *

Thanks for reading! I got a couple of requests to cut down the review portion so I replied to the signed reviews as I got them rather than here.

As always, I appreciate everyone's thoughts, and thanks for reading!


	7. Imprisoned – Part 1 of 2

**Authors note:** So I have some good news and some bad news. The bad news is that this freakin' chapter was too long and I had to split it up into two parts. The good news is that the second half to this chapter will be up in two or three days. Tops.

* * *

**OOOOOOO**

* * *

Sokka walked slowly down the street, acutely aware of how the shaped mason jars piled in his arms clinked together with every move. Iroh was out supervising the painting for the new shop, and left his nephew in charge of setting up the new Tea Maker. Unfortunately, Sokka couldn't handle a heavy cart with one arm, and carrying the jars was a problem of its own.

"Lee!"

Hearing his alias, Sokka turned around to see a green-robed girl running over, waving at him. She was pretty with green eyes and messy brown hair pulled into two braids over each shoulder. He waited in mild surprise as she stopped short. "I heard from my father that you and your uncle got a new shop. Congratulations!" She grinned, and her large green eyes fell to the jars he was carrying. "What — oh! Your arm! Do you need help?"

"Uh," Sokka had no idea who this girl was to Zuko or why, if she knew him, she wanted to be around him at all. But she was cute, and his arm did ach. "Yeah, sure." He shifted his grip and she deftly relived him of three of the jars.

"I guess you won't be juggling anytime soon with that arm," she said, bright eyes dancing.

Sokka forced a quick laugh, mouthing "what?!" only when her back was turned. They set off walking down the street, Sokka looking for something, anything to say. It was awkward, almost like when he first found himself in Zuko's body, being around people he didn't know, but knew "him". He settled for an open ended, "So… how've you been?"

"Good," The girl paused, looking down at the ground, biting her lower lip. "About the other night… I'm real sorry, Lee. I—"

"No, it's my fault." He felt pretty confident about this, if nothing else. After all, he knew first hand how Prince Angry Freak treated people, even if his uncle still loved him. "I was a jerk, and I'm sorry."

Sokka knew he had said the right thing when he saw a small, tentative smile light up her face. His heart beat faster, and he smiled back. She wasn't lovely, like Yue, or strongly attractively dangerous like Suki. (The thought of her brought a stab of pain nearly as retching as when he thought of his family, but she was lost to him as well, and he buried away the hurt like all the rest.) This girl was… nice. And cute. And she wasn't looking at the scar. "Hey," he leaned towards her conspiratorially, and saw a slight blush on her cheeks. Oh yeah, she was _so_ into Zuko — er, him. "Have you been to the Upper Ring?"

Some quick emotion flashed over her face too fast for him to pinpoint, then she shook her head. "No, only a couple of times with my family."

"Well you're in luck," said Sokka, with an air of confidence, "Because I know all good places to go."

"Do you?" He could tell she didn't quite believe him, but this was a girl — for whatever reason — also thought he could juggle. So he wasn't concerned.

"Sure do. Maybe I could take you to some of the places, you know, after we drop this off…" his voice trailed away, and suddenly he could almost hear those laughing, spiteful girls back in the old teashop…

But this girl wasn't laughing. Her smile got even wider. "It's a date, then."

* * *

**OOOOOOO**

* * *

Zuko reached behind him, automatically resting his hand on the hilt of the broadsword, only to come up empty. He didn't think he would need it on a trip to play Pai Sho, and had left it back with Toph and Katara — a decision he now regretted.

Despite assurances from the men of the White Lotus, he felt uneasy traveling this darkened tunnel with only Sokka's reactions and a half-trained Avatar at his back.

To his side, Aang was reaching up to adjust the new hat he had been given — stripped purple and brown to match his and Zuko's servant uniforms. "I hope this goes better than the last time," said the young Avatar lightly, with a friendly elbow to Zuko's side.

His stomach dropped. _Last time?_

Up ahead in the tunnel, their escort paused at a junction, waiting patiently for them to catch up. He had the only source of light— a single lit torch which Zuko couldn't help but watch sadly. He missed fire. He missed its familiarity, its friendly warmth. Sokka's senses, without a connection to fire and with a visual emphasis towards the darker blues and blacks, felt colorless and almost dull.

"These tunnels have been used by the Order for many centenaries." Their escort spoke softly, his voice full of pride. "It is said that their original purpose was to provide a route for palace slaves to come meet with their families on the outside, in the sixth century." His eyes then flicked towards Aang. "More recently, Avatar Kyoshi walked these tunnels to see the Earth King. She then negotiated a treaty to stop the great riots of Ba Sing Se."

"Wow." Aang's head twisted this way and that, taking a new interest in the walls around him as if he could recognize them from a past life. Zuko wondered uneasily if he could. It was just another reminder that this was no mere boy next to him.

The escort nodded. "Indeed." And he said no further until they came to another junction. He paused, and Zuko thought they had finally reached their destination. But the escort simply held his torch up, illuminating blackened sooty walls. "This is all that is left after the great seven-day battle during the war for the waterways. Earth Kingdom armies and Fire Nation soldiers," he paused, and Zuko mentally braced himself waiting for an insult to his country. But the man's next words surprised him. "They fought bravely against the attacking Water Tribe bandits."

"Wait, what?" Zuko barked, looking at him like he was crazy. Fire Nation was fighting _with_ the Earth Kingdom? Against Water peasants?

The man looked away for a moment, as if to sooth insult, and Zuko hastily remembered which body he was in.

"That was some five hundred years ago," continued the man, then he turned away. "Moving on."

Zuko hesitated, looking for one last moment at the charred wall. If Sokka's night vision was anything to go by, those long-dead firebenders would have had a disadvantage here in this dark tunnel. Closed in, cut off from Agni's power and fighting people who could see better — Zuko felt a shudder roll through his body. He also felt a warm sense of pride; something he realized he hadn't felt in a long time when thinking of his Nation.

Aang and the escort were getting ahead of him, and he hurried to catch up.

Presently they came to a third junction and this time the flickering torch-light illuminated a thin ladder which ascended to the ceiling. "This is as far as I can take you. The latter leads to a secret entrance to the inner palace. It opens to the office for the Head of the Cultural Authority."

"Long Feng!" hissed Aang.

The escort nodded. "You must be very careful. The Order wishes you well, Avatar." He then turned to Zuko and held out his hand, palm up. Thinking quickly, Zuko did the same and was rewarded by the escort's slight smile. "The White Lotus closes with the setting sun, brother, but will open again with the brand new day."

That was just the type of crazy metaphor that Uncle would say, and Zuko was practiced enough by now to show no surprise towards it. "Thank you, brother."

With a final nod, the escort turned and walked back in the direction from which they came.

There was a beat as Aang and Zuko watched him go before the Avatar turned towards him "Sokka, you know some crazy people."

"You can say that again." said Zuko, watching the flickering light of the escort's torch disappear down the tunnel.

Aang grinned impishly. "Sokka, you know some crazy people."

He was glad it was dark and Aang couldn't see him roll his eyes. Grasping the cool metal ladder, he tested his weight. It held, and he quickly climbed. The top was capped with what Zuko recognized as almost a port-hole doorway like that of his old battleship. It took only a quick jerk to unscrew the lock. Carefully, he lifted away the top, glancing right and left to see if they were alone. As far as he could tell, they were. He slid the rest away and cautiously climbed out.

At first, Zuko thought that the escort had been mistaken and that they had somehow stumbled into the palace library. He was in the middle of a room, surrounded by row upon row of high reaching cabinets that extended nearly to the ceiling. The faint smell of old leather and rotting paper tickled his nose. But instead of books, the cabinets were backed with scroll after scroll in neatly arranged order. He looked around in wonderment… the size and scale of the place made the Dragon Library at the Fire Palace look almost tiny in comparison.

"All clear," he whispered.

With a sweep of air, Aang latterly leapt out of the hidden floor doorway. Looking around, his jaw dropped in surprise. "This is Long Feng's _office_? This looks more like the Spirit Library!"

"I guess." Zuko reached towards the closest shelf and pulled out a long scroll. Unrolling it, he scanned the contents.

**Name:** Phong, Li

**Age:** 35

**Occupation**: Construction (Former Painter)

**Location**: Lower Ring, Second Quarter, 112th district – Apartment 107

**Suspicious Activities**: Dai Li agents recovered one painting depicting Fire Nation armies attacking outer walls. Painting was immediately destroyed, and offender was taken to Lake Laogai for reeducation.

**Family**: Wife Ta Lu, no children

Zuko grabbed another file, this one for a woman named Ping, Hoshi. It was much the same, with a brief status of the person's name, age, location and their "Suspicious activities."

He lowered the scrolls. "This is an archive." His blue eyes gazed the room, taking the horror of it all for the first time. It felt like the bottom had dropped out from under him… each of the thousands and thousands of scrolls represented a person. "They have to have records of everyone in Ba Sing Se in here."

Aang shivered. "They probably have a whole lot of records on us, then."

"If they do, I want to see them." Or more specifically, he wanted to see if there were any records on _him_. He pointed to the left, "You look that way, I'll go this way."

With a nod, the young Avatar did what he was told and started to scan the shelves.

Zuko's started the isle at a walk that quickly became a full out run. His heart felt like it was trying to thud its way out of his chest. He ran past the L's, knowing that there were a million Lee's. Besides, didn't have anything to worry about if they just had something under that name.

Finding the letter he was looking for, he skidded to a halt, fingers dancing around the scrolls as he scanned for the right one. To his surprise, there was a special section reserved under his last name. He had hoped that the Dai Li had only an interest within the city, and not the Royal Family.

Then he found the scroll, helpfully labeled: Iroh (General) Zuko (Prince)

He snatched it out and unrolled it. Uncle was listed first.

**Name**: Iroh (AKA: Dragon of the West)

**Age**: 65 (Approx)

**Occupation**: Tea Server-

But that was as far as Zuko got, for Aang was calling, "Sokka!" in a loud, excited voice a few rows over. Giving a low curse, he ripped the parchment from its rollers and quickly folded the paper before stashing it in his servant's tunic.

Then, taking breaths that would have calmed the fire inside in his own body, but which did nothing at all for him now, he jogged over to join the Avatar. "Keep it down!" he hissed, and saw that Aang was kneeling by a open wooden chest.

The monk glanced up at him with wide eyes. In his hand, he clutched an opened scroll. "They've been intercepting our letters! There's some kind of Guru who wants to meet me at the Eastern Air Temple. He says he can help me master the Avatar State!" He dug around the contents of the chest, coming up with a couple more scrolls. "And here's something for Toph, and—" Aang broke off, reading the label before handing it to Zuko. "It's an intelligence report for the Southern Water Tribe!"

Zuko took the scroll, only because he knew Aang would expect him too, trying to force a look of excitement on his face. "It says that there's a fleet of ships in Chameleon Bay, lead by Chief Hakoda."

"Is that your father?"

"I—" he honestly didn't know. Luckily, he was saved from an answer by the squeak of an opening door-hinge on the other side of the office.

Zuko and Aang acted quickly. Loosening the parchment from the wooden rollers like he had done with his own record, Zuko stuffed them quickly into his pockets while Aang quietly closed the chest and blasted it back to the top shelf with a bend of air.

"What are you doing here?!" snapped an aged, cranky voice.

The two boys froze, and then turned around, meeting the unwavering gaze of a strangely familiar face. "Hey, aren't you the warehouse janitor?" asked Aang, before Zuko could elbow him in the side and shut him up.

But Sweepy the janitor just glared at the both of them. "I don't know what you're talking about, young man. I've been working peacefully in this Palace for going on twenty years — and not a single vacation yet! Now," and the lines around his crinkled mouth tightened, "why are you here and not at the banquet like the rest of the servants?"

"We were headed that way!" Aang said, and Zuko nodded his head vigorously. "Just as soon as we were done, ah—"

"—dusting the records." Zuko muttered, out of the corner of his mouth, remembering many times when he had been sent to do the same as punishment as a child.

"Yeah, dusting the records!" Aang's grin was nothing but innocent.

Old Sweepy seemed less than taken by their story, but there was a dead, incurious sort of air in his eyes and after a moment of staring at the two boys, he nodded his head. "Well, you're needed in the banquet hall, now. Off with you!" Then he turned away, grabbing a broom from a shadowy corner to start his work.

Zuko and Aang didn't wait for him to change their mind. They sped out of there, glancing behind them only when they were safely in the hallway and out of earshot. The Avatar turned his gaze at Zuko. "Do you think…" he didn't finish, but Zuko knew where he was going with it. Sweepy was brainwashed by the Dai Li. They had suspected it before, but knew it now. The man hadn't even recognized them.

"Yes," he answered tightly. He wanted to say more, perhaps that all of the servants here had undergone brainwashing. It would make them convenient slaves. But something made him hold back, a flicker of guilt wanting to spare something of Aang's innocence.

There was the sound of people approaching, and Zuko knew they didn't have much time. "The Earth King's rooms should be near the center of the palace." At least, if this was anything like his own. "Let's go."

* * *

**OOOOOOO**

* * *

Jin was smiling, and Sokka found that he was growing to like that smile very much.

After dropping off the last pieces of his invention to at The Jasmine Dragon, they found Iroh, still supervising the last bit of painting. The old General had greeted the girl warmly (where, conveniently, Sokka learned her name), and when Jin turned her back, Iroh pressed a silver piece into Sokka's palm with a wink. He wanted his nephew to take the girl out and have a good time.

So he did.

It was easy to laugh around her, he found. He hadn't had the chance to laugh or smile or be himself — literally — for days. Now he could

They went to the park, and caught play that was being held by a large water fountain. The actors were bad, but the jokes were good (and Sokka stored some away for his own use, later). And after a few hours he stopped looking at Jin and seeing the sad, strong gaze of Yue, or the quicksilver intelligence of Suki… he just saw Jin, and the sincere compassion in her green eyes.

And then, as if the Spirits themselves wanted to make this day even better, he caught a familiar scent on the wind. Sokka brightened. "Seal jerky!"

Jin blinked in surprise. "What?"

But Sokka took her hand into his own and excitedly pulled her over to a nearby vendor who had slabs of the brown, gooey meet on rotating hooks. "Seal jerky," Sokka explained, as if that said it all. In his mind, it did. "It's the best stuff ever." He turned and ordered two pieces, handing one to her. "It's my favorite. I used to have it all the when—" he broke off, hiding the sudden searing in his chest by biting into the jerky.

"When you were traveling with the circus?" she filled in, taking a tentative sniff of the stuff.

"The… circus, yeah."

Looking doubtfully at the meat, Jin took a small bite. "Hmm… it's salty. Like Water Tribe food."

"It _is_ Water Tribe food." He corrected, and took in a breath, about to tell her how the men would go seal hunting twice a year, and then the whole Tribe would come back and pack the meat in salt to keep it from spoiling. Because even in the cold poles, meat could spoil. He had joined the hunt, once, before his father had left, but… he could tell her none of it. He was Zuko… or Lee, now. And his pale skin, and his gold eyes, spoke of nothing about the Water Tribe. So instead of telling her about it, he answered blandly, "This is okay, but you should really have it fresh."

Jin didn't share his enthusiasm for the meat but politely ate anyway. There was a bridge nearby, arching over a turtle-duck pond. They walked along it, stopping in the middle to lean against the railing and look down into the murky depths of the pond.

Their reflections looked back at them. A cute, innocent earth-peasant along side a pale boy with a quarter of his face in a permanent glare. Sokka stared at his reflection, really stared at it, and had to resist the urge to reach up and touch the scar. How had Zuko gotten it anyway? Jin would probably want to know, someday. And Sokka did, too.

"It's pretty," Jin remarked, and Sokka glanced at her in surprise only to realize that she was looking towards the setting sun.

"It sure is." Daringly, he laced his fingers in with hers. Her sudden smile made him blush, and he glanced down at the water towards their reflection —

—and saw the wide-brimmed hat of a Dai Li agent behind them.

Sokka whipped around and caught the startlingly familiar face of the Dai Li agent he had tricked a few days ago in the tunnel. He made a move to throw up his good arm, but the agent was ready for him and punched him in the gut with one rockfisted glove. Sokka wheezed, hunching over.

Jin screamed.

Footsteps echoed on the bridge, and Sokka tried to straighten up, but his hands were being hauled behind his back. With a crumbling sound, they were encased in stone. More Dai Li agents had surrounded them from either side of the bridge. One grabbed Jin roughly, also forcing her arms behind her.

"No!" Sokka gasped, dawning horror masking even the pain of his broken arm. "No! She's got nothing to do with this!"

The Dai Li agent, the one that Sokka had knocked out a few nights ago, laughed. "No? Your little girlfriend is in the presence of a known firebender."

There was a beat of silence as Sokka looked at Jin, and she looked at him. Mouth parted in shock, she shook her head. Then a black hood was forced over her head, and one on Sokka, and there was only darkness.

* * *

**OOOOOOO**

* * *

If Zuko wasn't sure that the Fates had something against him before, he was fairly certain now.

He and the Avatar walked down the hall, trying to look as nonchalant as possible when they were approached by not one but three surly looking Dai Li agents. "What are you doing out here?" One, in the middle of the trio, barked. "Don't you know that the banquet is the other direction?"

Zuko's mind stuttered to a halt. He thought about just simply punching one of them and telling Aang to make a run for it, but the Avatar was quicker with improvisation and stepped forward, a peaceable smile on his face. "Oh yeah," he chirped, "we were just headed that way…"

The look the Agent gave him clearly said he didn't buy it. "Excellent," he said with a small flick of his wrist that carved a circle in the floor underneath the boy's feet. The circle of stone rotated and within a few seconds they were standing in the opposite direction. "We were needed there as well."

Zuko and Aang shot each other a quick look, and the message passed clearly between them. _Play along._

The Dai Li agents led them to a doorway they had passed a little bit ago, and pushed them in with a snicker. Suddenly, the two boys found themselves in a busy, hot, noisy kitchen. People were running in every direction, calling out orders over one another and moving food and plates back and forth. The sound was almost deafening.

At once, someone grabbed Zuko's arm. "You!" a voice barked, and Zuko glanced up to see a man with thick eyebrows staring at him with a tall chef's hat on his head. "Get this apron on, and get out there! They're waiting for their drinks."

And so, within the space of thirty seconds, Zuko found himself doing something he would never thought he would do again – serving tea.

"This is ridiculous," he grumbled under his breath, as he bent to pour.

"Excuse me?" asked a woman nearby, a fan to her mouth.

"Green or Spice tea, M'am?" he asked, plastering a wide smile on Sokka's stupid face.

After he was done pouring, he went to the next table and took a casual look around for the first time. The room was big — bigger than at least two of the Fire Lord's receiving room combined. Long tables and chairs filled the room, and the polite murmur of conversation could be heard over the various servants bringing tea and starters. He could see Aang with a plate of sushi about twenty feet away…

… and nearly every other head was covered by the wide green brim of a Dai Li helmet.

Zuko's blue eyes widened, and he looked towards the front dais for some kind of explanation. The title banner waved slightly, proclaiming this as a graduation dinner for the newest class of Dai Li agents.

The fates definitely had something against him. Personally.

Someone signaled him from another table, and after swallowing hard, he made his way over. On the bright side, the Earth King himself might show up for the graduation. If he or Aang could get up to the high table, they might have a chance…

A hush fell over the crowd, and at once every eye was at the dias.

Zuko's mouth went dry, and the hand not under the teatray clenched. Long Feng, the head of the Cultural Authority, the man responsible for Jet's death, was standing at the dias, surveying the crowd through half lidded eyes. He looked like a basking Komodo Dragon about to strike. Zuko turned himself away, pretending to listen to an order to avoid his sweeping gaze.

A moment later, Long Feng spoke, "High citizens of Ba Sing Se, I welcome you on this day as we celebrate the accomplishments of these twenty men," he nodded towards the front table where a group of young Dai Li sat, garbed in honorary dress robes. "These new agents will join a established institution that has kept peace and harmony within our walls for hundreds of years. As many of you know, the Dai Li were first established after the great Riots of Ba Sing Se. Avatar Kyoshi herself trained the first of us, and we have strove to—"

There was a sharp yelp and a tinkle of broken china. All eyes on the room swept to the back corner, and Zuko nearly groaned aloud.

Aang had apparently dropped some bowls he was carrying, spilling soup all over a man with a long mustache and red robes. "Sorry!"

Zuko glanced back towards Long Feng, hoping the man would continue on with his speech, but his half-lidded eyes were fixed only on the Avatar. Clearly, he recognized him, even under the servant's uniforms.

Zuko didn't think. Aang hadn't even taken notice, still apologizing to the man in red robes and now awkwardly trying to wipe food off of a lady's dress. "AANG!" he yelled, "RUN!"

"Dai Li!" snapped Long Feng, and instantly two hundred agents bolted to their feet. "Seize the Avatar and his companion!"

Zuko grabbed his tea pot, and threw the contents in the face of the nearest agent. With a vicious kick, he knocked the screaming man in the way of three others.

Instantly, the banquet hall was in pandemonium. Ladies were screaming, Dai Li were calling out orders left and right, and real servants were up turning chairs in order to get under tables for safety.

Wishing once more he had his fire, Zuko ran towards the back door, knowing that it was his best chance to escape. A couple of agents made a wild grab for him, but Sokka's reflexes were wily, and what Zuko couldn't accomplish with sinewy grace, he could shamelessly duck, weave and strike. It worked surprisingly well.

A wall of rock erupted from nowhere right in front of the door, rising too quickly in his path to keep from hitting it. Instantly, his arms and legs were encased in unforgiving rock, pinning him. Zuko cursed, wiggling against the bonds, trying to break free. Facing the wall as he was, he could not see if Aang had escaped, but from the shouting and whoosh of air, he guessed the monk was still in the fight.

Suddenly something cool and sharp pressed against the back of his neck, and Zuko held himself very still.

"AVATAR!" Long Feng's shout had strength enough to carry across the chaos of the room, and as the man was standing right next to Zuko, his voice was deafening. "Surrender yourself!"

The knife's edge pressed into the back of his neck, and Zuko grimaced. He thought he knew what was going to happen next, and while part of him was relived (after all, Long Feng had recently killed before) the other part railed against it. _Don't give up! Take a hostage you idiot! Don't ever—_

"I surrender!" yelled Aang, and sure enough the crashing stopped and the gale of wind subsided to a low whistle. "Don't hurt him! I surrender!"

The stupid… sentimental little fool.

Later on, Zuko would wonder if he was now even with Aang, after he saved him from Admiral Zhao as the Blue Spirit so long ago.

* * *

**OOOOOOO**

* * *

Jin was weeping softly in the corner of their cell, and Sokka officially felt like the biggest jerk in the world. They had been released of their bindings and thrown a cell together. Immediately, Sokka had searched for a weakness, but it was a metal cage — impossible to burn and too strong to try to blast through.

Nor were they alone. He and Jin were sharing one cell, but looking out Sokka could see rows upon rows of other cells to the right and left, and floors of those as well, all stacked on one another. This was a vast prison, and he couldn't see an immediate way out.

Jin let out another muffled sob, Sokka felt a lump grow in his throat. "I'm so sorry, Jin. I… I'm going to get us out of here. I just have to think of something." Gripping the cool metal bars, he rested his forehead against the bars. He should have known that the Dai Li agent wouldn't just forget about him. He should have calculated for it, but so much else had been on his mind…

"Maybe…" An idea occurred to him and he turned around to face the girl, mulling it over. "Maybe you could act sick and then when the guard comes — wham!" he punched one fist into his palm, "I knock him out and we escape and…" And what? They fight one hundred Dai Li guards without weapons and with one of his arms broken? Jin wasn't Suki. She wasn't a fighter, and the vaguely frightened look she was giving him through tear swollen eyes confirmed that.

"Is it true?" Jin's hands were in her lap, fingers clutching her own sleeves so hard that her knuckles were white. "What they said, is it true?" She didn't give him time to answer as a new thought had her suddenly on her feet. "Is that how you lit the lanterns by the fountain? You were firebending?!"

"What?"

"No! Don't you dare lie to me! Not right now!"

Sokka stared at her for a moment, at her beautiful tear-streaked face, her eyes full of hurt. His shoulders slumped. There was nothing he could say to her that would be the truth. So he said nothing, turning again to the bars to see if maybe there was some imperfection in the metal he could take advantage of.

A cold silence fell between them, and the couple of times he glanced at her he saw that both her arms and legs were crossed and she was looking resolutely in the other direction.

"Is your name even Lee?"

The question came out of nowhere. With his back still to her, he closed his eyes. Slowly, he shook his head. "It's… kind of a stupid alias anyway."

She barked out a laugh that was anything but amused. "And the circus?"

He cursed Zuko from the bottom of his heart. That was absolutely the worst cover story he had ever heard in his life. "No."

"Who _are_ you?" It was a plea more than anything else, and he turned to see her staring at him, bottom lip trembling.

"My name—" he stopped, then shook his head again, a low unamused laugh bubbling up from somewhere inside of him. "My name is… Sokka."

The word felt strange on his lips, but even as he said it, some kind of knot he wasn't aware of unbound in his heart. "I come from the Southern Water Tribe down in the South Pole. My dad's name is Hakoda, and my sister, Katara, is a Waterbending Master."

_And I am Sokka_, he said again in his mind, and it felt good.

Jin was staring. She could hear the truth in his words, but Sokka knew that her eyes were telling her a completely different story. "But…" she said, tentatively, "you're a firebender."

"Yeah. Well," he didn't have an explanation for that, at least not one he could tell her, so he sort of shrugged. "I'm not a very good one."

"And your uncle Moshi? Is he… from the Water Tribe too?" She sounded very doubtful at her own words, and he had to chuckle.

"No, he's Fire Nation. And he's… yeah, I guess he is my uncle." Sokka hadn't really thought of it before, but as he said it, he realized it was true. The old man had grown on him. Somewhere along the line he had stopped thinking of him as the General. The enemy. And started thinking of him almost as if he was another member of his Tribe, as family.

Jin sat still for a long moment, looking like she was trying to take this all in. "Why didn't you tell me?" she said, at last. "I would have kept your secret. I wouldn't have told anyone."

"I know." He couldn't look at her. "I'm sorry."

"Maybe if I could just twist this here…" Zuko grunted, pulling on one of the steel manacles so hard that the cold steel bit into the calluses of Sokka's fingers. "you can wiggle out…"

Aang pulled his right arm as hard as he could, straining from the effort. But the thing stead fastly refused to slip over his wrist. Not without dislocating his thumb first. Setting his jaw, Zuko gave another final tug, but it was too much. "Ow, ow… ow!" Aang gasped, and Zuko had to stop.

The former prince cursed, whipping around to kick viciously at the bars of their cell. He was useless, completely useless. An insult highlighted by the fact that the Avatar had been put into tight bonds to keep from bending, and he had been left free to roam around the cell. After all, what harm could a nonbender do? He kicked at the bars again so hard that his toes smarted.

"Sokka, it's going to be okay!"

He turned to look at Aang. There he was, each limb tightly bound by restraining chains anchored to the wall, so tight that he could hardly move, and he was comforting him.

Zuko felt some of his frustration drain away. "I know. I just wish—" He didn't finish, because there were so many things to wish for. Too many.

The monk offered up a tentative smile. "Besides, Katara and Toph are still out there. We've been here for hours. They have to know something's up."

Zuko gave a curt nod, but wasn't going to hold his breath on the chances that a Waterbender and a 12 year old blind girl could somehow locate them, fight an army of Dai Li, and then break them out. He had seen them fight first hand against him, and under the lake, but no one was that powerful. No, Zuko knew better than that. He and Aang were on their own.

Once again he glanced at the Avatar's restraints, uncomfortably aware how similar they were to the ones in his dream the other night. The bonds were tight, but a firebending master could probably superheat the small space of air between skin and manacle, causing a blast that could set him free. He was fairly sure Azula could do something like that, if she wanted. The problem was that the explosion would very well injure as well. He shouldn't care, but the last thing he wanted was Aang to get burned.

With a sigh, he turned once again to the bars. Apparently, the Dai Li had a specialized prison not far away from the palace. His and Aang's cell were set apart from the others, of course, being special "guests" of Long Feng. But Zuko had gotten a glimpse of the rest of the prison, and had guessed that there were at least four levels and too many cells to easily count.

An image of Joo Dee's blank smile swam up in his mind and he shuddered.

Again Zuko turned, and saw that Aang had his head cocked to the side as if listening to something only he could hear. Abruptly his grey eyes snapped into focus, and he grinned. "Hey, Sokka! Take off my shoe!"

"What?"

"I think I can hear something… well, not quite hear, but I need to feel the ground using earthbending."

"Aang, you can't earthbend metal!" At least, he was fairly sure that he couldn't.

"No, but it's a conductor. C'mon, Sokka, please? I can't do it myself."

The Avatar probably didn't mean to play on Zuko's slowly growing sense of guilt, but worked anyway. Giving him a completely disgusted look, he knelt down and unlaced the shoe on his right foot and took it off before standing with a cocked eyebrow as if to say, "well?".

Aang ground his bare sole into the floor and closed his eyes. He looked like he was almost mediating, and it was nearly three minutes before he reopened them. "There's… something going on up at the surface. Something big. A lot of crashing."

Was this how Toph was able to "see" her away around? Zuko looked towards the blank steel ceiling, but of course saw nothing. Even if he was connected to his element, he doubted he would have been able to notice anything. "Do you think…?" his eyes met Aang's and he saw the hope lit within. Clearly, he thought that it might be a rescue in progress.

"It might be a construction project or something." Zuko said, crossing his arms. But he didn't really have the heart to extinguish the hope in the Avatar's eyes, so he dropped it.

"So what do we do now?" asked Aang.

Zuko could only shrug. He looked around for inspiration, and saw only blank walls and steel bars. "I don't know… think about our place in the universe?"

Aang snorted, and for some reason Zuko found himself smiling. It wasn't even meant to be a joke, and wasn't that funny, but something about their situation required an outlet. Here he was, trapped in a cell with the Avatar of all people, and he was _asking_ for his help. It was all so… stupid. But he couldn't stop laughing.

Within a few moments Aang was hiccupping in laughter, and Zuko was chuckling Sokka's high-pitched, easy laugh.

"Well, I am most certainly glad that the Avatar is enjoying himself."

The smooth, cultured voice instantly cut their laughter short. Long Feng stood behind the bars to their cell, hands clasped behind his back, flanked by no less than five Dai Li. At the minister's nod, one of the agent's yanked the cell door open and they stepped in. Without thinking about it, Zuko got to his feet, and stood just in front of Aang, as if to shield him. The kid was bound and helpless, after all.

"I will admit, I didn't expect you to be nearly this persistent," continued Long Feng. He stepped forward with casual grace. "I would have thought that you would have fled with your bison. Yet, here you are."

Aang shifted in his chains, looking like he was dying to create an airblast. "You can't keep doing this to the people of Ba Sing Se." he snapped, "They need to know the truth!"

"Ah, the inner workings of a child never ceased to amaze me. You see good and evil in such black and white terms, but no matter." Long Feng inclined his head, as if brushing off the annoying question of a pupil. Suddenly his cultured tone became hard. "Where are your two female companions, hmm? We searched the entire palace, and I do hate surprises."

"We'll never tell you!"

"No, I don't suppose you would." Unclasping his hands, Long Feng flicked his wrist casually and before Zuko could move he found his arms grabbed by two Dai Li. "But I'm sure this one will."

Zuko growled, trying to lurch away, but the two agents held him fast.

"No!" Aang yelped, his grey eyes wide, scared. He strained forward, but the restraints held him steadfast, unable to move, unable to bend.

Again Long Feng stepped forward. He was within a hand's breath of the Avatar, and he leaned down, as if savoring the moment. "Your pretty female companions will be excellent Joo Dee's, and I'll have this one work the prison. Every day you will see him and be reminded about how you failed. Ba Sing See was too strong for you, young Avatar."

Then he stood up, and made another gesture to his waiting agents, and suddenly Zuko found himself being dragged away. "NO!" He struggled, trying to turn out of their grip, calling without knowing why, "AANG!"

But then with another push he was taken out of Aang's sight. He could hear the young Avatar yelling, the words lost in the echoes of the stone chamber, but then they rounded yet another corner and that was gone as well.

"No!" Zuko felt the sharp edge of panic hit him, and he twisted again in the Dai Li's grasp. "You have no idea what you're doing! I… I demand that you release me at once!"

All he got was a small chuckle from Long Feng. After all, it was not imperious demand of Zuko, Prince of the Fire Nation. To his eyes it was just the whining voice of Sokka the Water Tribe peasant.

Suddenly a Dai Li agent, red in the face with exertion, rounded the corner. "Long Feng, sir!" he made a hasty bow, but was up at once, breathless. "Sir, there's been a problem. There's…" his eyes darted left and right and he bent forward, whispering something in the Minister's ear.

Zuko could not hear what was said, but he didn't miss the way Long Feng's eyes flashed. "I see," said Long Feng in a slow drawl that was only betrayed by the way the muscles in his shoulders tensed. Abruptly, he turned to the Dai Li holding Zuko. "Take him down to the chamber immediately. I don't care if his mind is destroyed in the process; I will have everything he knows. Go."

The images of Joo Dee and Sweepy and Jet flashed in his mind, and Zuko wanted to howl in fear. He threw himself against his captors, a raging demon fighting, twisting, scrabbling against each step. The agents grip on him was like iron and they forced him down the hall, past rows upon rows of cells. Zuko caught flashes of pale faces staring at him from behind bars. He saw eyes of pity, heard a couple of calls. The prisoners knew what was going to happen to the boy in the grip of the Dai Li. And they knew that one day, it would be them to take that walk.

"NO, NO, NO!" It couldn't end this way! He had lost everything; his throne, his honor, Uncle, his own body… and now he was about to lose his very mind. "NO!... Please! NO!"

The Agent's pushed him along, step by step, heedless of his cries. They had heard others, before. Much sadder stories then this.

They passed into a dimly lit hallway with flickering torches and Zuko strained towards them, instinctively seeking the fire. But it flickered on, unchanged and unmoved.

Finally they entered into a room and Zuko was thrown roughly into a hard wooden chair. He leapt up in a moment, delivering a couple of quick palm strikes to the face of the Agent closest to him. But his partner was able to overpower him and shove him down into the chair again. This time rock restraints covered his wrists and legs, keeping him there. The door slid shut, sealing them in; and sealing all chance for hope, out.

"The brat broke my nose!" one of the Agent's exclaimed.

"Serves you right for taking your hands off the prisoner." The other remarked. "Load the lamp already."

A clack of spark rocks and suddenly a lamp in the middle of a round rail flickered to light. Zuko turned his head away, squeezing his eyes shut. A moment later his head was turned forward again, forcefully held by a circle of stone restraints.

"Calm down," said the agent in charge. His voice was soft, surprisingly pleasant, and behind him the bright lamp started to rotate, following a circular track around and around. "This doesn't have to hurt. I want you to just and listen to the sound of my voice. Let your mind become blank… let your thoughts flow carelessly away, downriver. "

And although Zuko had squeezed his eyes shut as tight as he could, he still saw the light of the lamp moving in a circular direction, bright against his eyelids. Intoxicating.

* * *

**OOOOOOO**

* * *

Yes, I totally yanked one of Zuko's lines from FBM. :D

And I noticed while I was writing that Sokka totally needed someone to interact with other than Iroh.

Anyway, thanks for reading!


	8. Imprisoned – Part 2 of 2

**Authors Note:** So here's the second half of the chapter I wrote. I gotta say some of you had really cool theories on what is going to happen in this chapter (and some kick-butt escape ideas!). They were great to read, and I hope that this doesn't disappoint!

* * *

**OOOOOOO**

* * *

Sokka was checking the hinges of the doorway, looking for signs of rust when he heard a commotion, sounding out even over the general babble of hundreds of jailed prisoners. Gripping the bars, he stuck his head out of the cell as far as he could, but the noises —muffled shouting that faded almost into obscurity from the echoes of many stone walls — was coming from two floors above him.

After about a minute or so whatever was happening passed out of hearing range.

"What do you think is going to happen to us?" Jin asked, and Sokka started in surprise. He hadn't realized that she was standing that close to him. She was nearly at his back.

"I don't know," he answered, honestly, although he had an idea of some kind of trial followed by a prison sentence. Or execution. He wouldn't allow it to go that far… He was sure he would think of something.

Jin shivered and Sokka had to resist the urge to pull her close. But she had been markedly distant since being thrown in the cell, even after they talked. Not that he could blame her. Not at all. She looked at him again, green eyes bright with fear. "They say when people get arrested by the Dai Li… they don't come back normal."

"What do you mean?"

"They—" she visibly swallowed and her crossed arms only got tighter against her chest, as if she was giving herself a hug. Her words tumbled out quickly, like she had been thinking about them for some time, but could only get it out now. "They say when people come back from this place they don't know their friends or their family anymore. They just smile all the time, and their eyes are sort of dead. "

Sokka immediately flashed to Joo Dee, and he wondered if that woman had once found herself in a cell like this one. They had to get out of here. But Jin's words sparked another memory inside of him too, and this one made him smile, despite the circumstances. "I dunno. That sounds made up to me… You know, like zombies."

"What?"

He shook his head ruefully, "It's an old Water Tribe legend that my dad used to tell. Zombie's are bodies without spirits, and they traveled the ice on moonless nights like this," he held out his arms straight out, a almost comical blank look on his face, "looking for living people so they could eat their brains."

Jin stared at him. "That's… horrible. Your dad told you that?"

"Yeah, well." He shrugged, turning back once more to examine the hinges. "I think he started doing it to scare me and my sister into not sneaking out of the igloo in the middle of the night. It _was_ scary at first, but after awhile it became sort of a tradition for him to tell us stories before bed." And after he left to go fight the Fire Nation, Sokka had missed the stories terribly, even the scary ones.

She was silent for a few minutes, obviously mulling that over, worrying her bottom lip between her teeth. But Sokka could see that her arms not nearly as tight against her as before, and she had stopped shivering. Abruptly, Jin looked up. "So is it true that the sun doesn't come up in the winter in the south?"

"Yup," he answered. He glanced through the bars, but there weren't any guards in sight. Laying a hand on one of the hinges, he tried to concentrate on warming it. If he could get the metal hot, it might be pliable. Almost without meaning too, he started breathing in deep, calming breaths, stoking the fire within.

As he worked, he started talking. A habit he picked up from his father while fixing fishing nets. "It's not that bad, really. It only lasts for a few months… My people are adaptable. We're survivors. Besides, there's always night-fishing." He was about to say more, but he clearly heard footsteps down the hall and he drew his hand away from the hinge. It was glowing orange with heat, and he heard Jin take an alarmed gasp.

But she didn't say anything more, and the Dai Li guard walked by, unconcerned. Within a few moments, that guard was joined by another and together the two of them paced up and down the hallways. Sokka watched them with a wary eye, noting how agitated they both looked. Something was up, and while they were on alert he couldn't work on the hinges. Reluctantly, he drew back into the shadows.

Jin's hand gripped his own. He looked at her, and saw the naked fear in her green eyes. Not for him, although he was sure that there was certain wariness there, too. She feared the guards, and what she thought lay ahead.

He wanted to reassure her, tell her that he had been in situations a lot worse than this hundreds — er, at least four or five times before. Most of them, ironically enough, caused by a certain scared prince. But of course, he could tell her none of that. He had walked the line of insanity by telling her his true name and origin, but anything more than that and… well, he wasn't going to go there.

So instead, he told her of something else. "Speaking of night-fishing," he said, and felt her attention on him again and not on the guards. "I remember the first time my dad took me out. I must have been five or six, and you know, driving my mom crazy from being cooped up in an igloo all day, or night, whatever you want to call it." Sokka had long ago forgotten exactly what his mother looked like. Her face was a blur in his memory; her voice was that of Katara's... but he did remember her annoyance on that day.

Keeping his golden eyes on her bright green ones, Sokka walked her over to the single bench in the back of their cell, keeping her eyes on him and not at the guards outside. As he spoke, his own mind drifted, back… way back to a place where he had lived and grew up. Where the air was so cold that it could make your very teeth hurt, where kids sledded on top of penguins and scaled slippery glaciers. Where boys became men on annual seal-hunts and where the southern lights danced across nights that sometimes lasted for months…

It was his home, and Sokka told everything he could to Jin about it, taking her mind away from the dark cell to the bright clean air of the South Pole.

* * *

**OOOOOOO**

* * *

Zuko squeezed his eyes shut as hard as he could, wincing against the bright circling lamplight. The rock restraints held his head fast, and another crumble of rock had a final restraint over his mouth. He couldn't even scream.

An agent stepped behind him, and rough fingers pried his eyes open.

"Calm down," repeated the agent who stood in front of him while the lamp drifted in lazy circles in the background. "No one will hurt you within these walls. Let your mind go blank."

His eyes followed the whirling source of light almost without meaning too. He grunted, something that would have been a string of angry curses if he hadn't been gagged.

"It's no use to fight us. We aren't trying to hurt you."

But now the lamp was taking his attention, and the agent's words took on an almost dreamlike quality.

"That's it… yes. Let it go… Let it all go…"

He did feel a little calmer…

No… NO!

With an effort that felt like moving rolling a boulder up a hill, he forced his eyes away from the light to the ceiling. To the floor. To the ceiling. To somewhere, anywhere else.

He got a sharp backhand across his face for his insolence, but the pain seemed further away, somewhere removed as if it had happened to someone else. His eyes fell again to the circling lamp.

Desperately, he fought to keep himself in the here and now... He would never see Uncle again. A memory of him, laughing, danced in front of his eyes, blocking the lamp for a few precious moments. Zuko focused on it. It was an old memory. Uncle had salt and pepper hair instead of the steel grey of today. That was back when Mom had been alive.

And now her face swam up in his mind, too. She came as a vague melancholy thought, heavy with lethargy. He remembered everything about her. Every line on her face, the way that her eyes would crinkle up when she laughed…

… and the way Toph had talked to him, like he was a normal human being, and the way Katara had smiled and tried to mother him, and the way Aang had joked around and not taken anything seriously…

He was going to lose them all.

"He's still fighting us."

"Yes, it doesn't seem like this boy gives up very easily. No matter. This will help him."

The agent reached forward, and something with a sharp, medicinal smell was pushed under his nose. He tried holding his breath, but after a few moments had no choice but to breathe it in. The world seemed to twist and lilt to the side by the time the horrible stuff was taken away.

The lamp was still circling, and Zuko's blue eyes automatically followed it, unblinking.

Suddenly Katara stood in front of him, right where the Dai Li agent was supposed to be. And next to her stood Toph, and Aang with that stupid lemur on his shoulder. Zuko stared at them, knowing that he was starting to hallucinate, but almost glad for it. They blocked the light from the cloying lamp; they were buying him time.

"I don't know what all the fuss is about," said Toph. The little earthbender crossed her arms; rock steady, and annoyed. "What's so hard about not looking at something?"

Aang smiled, leaning against his airstaff. "It's okay. If we know anything about Zuko, it's that he never gives up. "

Katara reached out, her semi-transparent hand brushing against Zuko's cheek. Somewhere, in the back the agent was still droning on in his monotone voice, but when Katara spoke, she drowned him out. "Just hang on, Zuko. I'm not going to allow my brother to be brainwashed. We're coming. Just hang on."

And then they were gone.

* * *

**OOOOOOO**

* * *

The Water Tribe boy had finally stopped his struggle. He was no longer staring at the bright circling lamp. He was not staring at anything at all.

Jing, the Dai Li agent in charge of this operation, allowed himself a small smile. "Excellent. Now allow your body to relax. Remember, you are in no danger, here. Let it all go. Surrender yourself. There is nothing you need to fear, here."

No answer. Not even a twitch.

Jing bent over, looking in the boy's blue eyes and found them dilated. He was in a basic hypnotic state, and from here Jing would gather all the information he would need and begin the process of reeducation. He had been a tougher nut to crack than usual, but he had succumbed, just like they all did. "Now," said the agent, with a smug glance to his partner sitting in the back. He flicked his wrist, removing the rock gag over the boy's mouth. "We'll start easy and move up from there. What is your name?"

"My name is," there was a slight hesitation, and a shiver ran through his frame, "Zuko."

"That's strange," Jing's partner said, "I have it here that his name is Sokka."

"What?" Jing hesitated, and then rechecked the boy's eyes again. "Did we grab the wrong kid?"

"Have you ever known Long Feng to make that sort of mistake?"

Hmm… good point. Jing turned again to his prisoner. "Okay then, er, Zuko. Why are you here? What is your mission?" Long Feng would want to know what the extent of the Avatar's conspiracy to overthrow the Earth King.

There was another long hesitation from the boy. "I was sent by my father."

"Your father?"

"Fire Lord Ozai."

There was a pause before Jing's partner barked out a laugh. "Oh, I get it! He thinks he's funny." The man laughed again, slapping his knee. "I don't think you have him completely under yet, Jing."

But Jing wasn't so sure. Sokka — or Zuko was showing every indication that he was under control. The boy was staring straight ahead, a trail of drool down his chin. He was telling the truth, or at least what he believed to be the truth. No, something else was going on here. It was a sad fact that the reeducation process was stressful to the mind and even though Jing hadn't even started to break down his thoughts and memories, sometimes the process created mental cracks where there had only been weak-points in a normal person. It was a shame… there'd probably be nothing but an empty, drooling shell by the time this was over.

Putting his hands on his knees, Jing ignored his laughing partner and bent down so that he was at Sokka's eyelevel. Softly (for he did feel a measure of pity for the kid) he asked, "Where is your sister and her friend?"

This pause was the longest one yet. Sokka's fingers tightened on the rough wooden chair, and his dilated eyes flicked back and forth too rapidly to be normal. Almost as if he was in a dream. "I… I don't…"

"Where is your sister?"

"She's…" he swallowed, Adam's apple bobbing up and down, "Chasing me… no… she's back with Toph… and Ty Lee and… and Mai…" he halted, and a low pained groan came from somewhere deep inside of him. "I don't know which one she is."

Jing stood up. His partner had stopped laughing, and was looking at the boy with a slightly horrified expression. "Is he cracking up?"

The agent just nodded, and with a slight mental nudge, sent the lamp back into motion. "Long Feng's not going to get much out of this one. Let's try putting him under a bit further."

* * *

**OOOOOOO**

* * *

"C'mon… c'mon…."

Aang squeezed his eyes shut, concentrating as hard as he could inward. Somewhere, some place deep down inside of him, he knew he had the power to access the Avatar State. It was the only thing that could get him out of here.

But it wasn't a switch he could turn on and off. They had proven that with crazy General Fong months ago, and Aang inwardly recoiled at using that awesome power again. It wasn't him. He could easily hurt a lot of people.

He needed to save Sokka.

"C'mon, Avatar state," he whispered, eyes still shut, forcing himself to remember his friend's frightened face as they dragged him away. He needed to get upset. He needed to lose control. For Sokka. He had done it for Katara and he had done it for Appa.

He couldn't do it now.

Aang opened his eyes, and even though he felt the hot prick of tears behind them, he knew he wasn't anywhere near the out of control rage and violence that it took to 'glow it up' as Sokka had once said.

He was a horrible friend.

The young monk sighed, slumping against the taunt chains. Although he hadn't said anything to Sokka (because he didn't really want to go into that story) being imprisoned like this reminded him strongly of the time when Sokka and Katara got sick and he got caught by Admiral Zhao. Prince Zuko had freed him then, or else he'd probably still be tied up there. And even though Aang was sure that the prince had his own agenda, he had been grateful.

He snorted softly. "Yeah, like Zuko's gonna come save me again."

No sooner he said that then there was a strangled shout from a Dai Li agent down the corridor. Aang's head shot up, and he listened intently. Another shout, a crumble of rock, the distinctive of a body falling to the ground, and then the sound of running footsteps.

Aang's grey eyes were wide now. "No way…."

He peered through the bars of the cell, fully expecting to see the lithe figure and laughing mask of the Blue Spirit.

Instead, he got something different.

"Aang!" Katara's voice rang out beautiful and joyous. She and Toph were standing there in front of him; tired, sweaty, but looking extremely pleased with themselves.

Toph gave a victory punch to Katara's arm. "See, I told you I could find him." Then she cracked her knuckles. "Stand back, Sugarqueen." With that, the tiny earthbender stomped one foot to the ground. The stone cracked immediately and split into two, pulling the two sides of the barred metal doorway apart with a wrenching screech.

Katara took over from there. Stepping inside, she waved her arms in two graceful movements, and the water from her pouch sliced right through Aang's chains like the sharpest blade.

"We have so much to tell you," began Katara, "The Earth King—"

Aang cut her off. Grabbing her arm, he tried pulling her down the corridor. "We don't have time. Sokka's in trouble!"

"What?!" Katara whipped around, glaring at Toph. "I thought you said he was okay!"

Toph blinked her sightless eyes even as she hurried to catch up with him. "I don't understand. He's three floors below us, and his heart rate and breathing are fine."

"That's because they're brainwashing him, like they did with Jet. They thought he'd be able to tell them where you guys are!"

Katara made a noise in the back of her throat, sounding like an angry Saber-Tooth Moose Lion. Aang risked a glance at her and saw something steel-cold in her eyes. She was going to hunt down whoever was hurting her brother and make them pay.

As they ran down the bleak hallways, they passed row after row of prison cells. Hands reached out from behind the bars, voices called out to them, pleading.

Reluctantly, Aang slowed to a stop. He was the Avatar. He couldn't just ignore this. "I need to free these people. Go get Sokka!"

Katara nodded, and turning she set down the corridor with Toph hard on her heels.

* * *

**OOOOOOO**

* * *

Just as soon as the lamp started moving, a voice broke in from far off, sounding small and tinny.

"_ZUKO!" _

He hardly noticed. In the forefront was the agent's soothing voice, washing away the confusion and the hurt… telling him to relax and let it all go…

"_ZUKO! ZUKO!"_ The voice was getting closer.

He blinked once, slowly, hearing the voice, unable to place who was saying it or even what exactly was being said. It sounded like his name, but he was falling… slipping under the weight of the voice and the ever circling lamp…

"Let it all go…"

"_ZUKO!"_

No… not Zuko… He woke up a little, blinked again. The voice wasn't calling Zuko… it was something else…

"SOKKA!"

Suddenly the world exploded. The earthen door shattered apart as if it were made of plate glass. The damnable lamp was knocked out of its circular track and fell to the floor with a firey smash. Zuko heard the agents screaming, saw smashing rock and violence… but he registered none of it.

The bonds were cut from the chair, and he slumped forward, only caught by a girl's strong supportive hands. Her face was above him, and she was speaking… asking something…

"Mom?" he asked, dazed.

The girl's lovely face crumpled, but then she was pushed aside. Another took her place and a small hand slapped his face, hard. "Snap out of it, Snoozles!"

"Ow." He raised his hand to his jaw, and then blinked again. The world slowly shifted back into focus. His pupils contracted, and Zuko came back into himself as if he was waking from a long, unpleasant nap. "What… what was that for?"

Toph smirked. "For scaring me."

"Are you okay?" Katara asked, and instantly her bending water was out again, ready to heal.

He shook his head, but answered with a curt, "Fine." He felt too dazed to be relived. A trail of drool had somehow escaped his mouth, and he it wiped away before looking at his tanned hands for a long moment, not recognizing them as his own.

Oh… of course. He had escaped one nightmare only to wake up again in this one. But even the most jaded part of Zuko couldn't stop the warm feeling of gratitude as he looked up again at Katara and Toph. His sister. His friend. Two girls that weren't his sister or friend at all… yet they were. They _were_.

Waitaminute. This wasn't another hallucination at all. They were here. They were real. So how… "What are you even doing here?"

"Saving you," the smirk on Toph's face grew even wider, "and telling the Earth King all about the vast conspiracy in his city. It took us all day to blast our way in and finally convince him."

"Long Feng's been arrested," continued Katara, and Zuko could swear that the waterbender was preening. "That's when we learned where you and Aang were. He's off rescuing the prisoners, by the way."

"I told you we should have just stormed the Palace in the first place," added Toph.

Zuko stared at them for a long moment. At Toph's wide, slightly evil smirk. At Katara's smug look. Then he put his head in his hands and groaned.

* * *

**OOOOOOO**

* * *

Sokka was just dozing off when strange sounds brought him back to consciousness — shouting, screaming. Beside him, Jin stirred, hearing the same thing. She looked to him almost fearfully, and he shook his head, answering her unspoken question. "I don't know what's going on."

His muscles were stiff and sore from laying the cold bench. He forced himself to move, walking to the front bars and peering out. The shouting, whatever it was, seemed to be coming once again from the upper level. Only instead of it being a single voice, this was many voices. Sokka strained to listen, to get an inkling about what was going on, and realized that the voices weren't shouting in fear or pain… it was in joy.

"I think… whatever is happening is good. They're yelling—" he broke off, listening. Then a cry, clear as day pierced the foggy prison air.

"IT'S THE AVATAR!"

Sokka gasped and sure enough a few moments later a blur of red and gold sailed down from above, then come rushing down the corridor. He had seen Aang airbend so that he could run as fast as the wind too many times to count. To the point where he had stopped being impressed by it.

Sokka was officially impressed again.

As he ran, Aang hit the sliding locks with the butt of his airstaff with enough force to knock the locking bolt free of its casing. Sokka pushed, and the door gave way. He was out in a moment, along with hundreds of freed prisoners. "Aang!" he yelled, over shrieks and glad cries of the entire crowd. His voice was swallowed up in an instant, and his friend didn't hear him.

With a whoosh of air and an easy leap, Aang alighted to the top of a railing. "The exit is that way! Get out of here!" He pointed his staff to the right and then easily jumped down to the next level to start freeing the people there as well.

Forgetting who he looked like, Sokka pushed through the crush of people. "Aang! Wait!"

"Sokka!"

He turned and saw that Jin had followed him out the cell. She was reaching for him, but the weight of hundreds of bodies was pushing her away. As he watched, she stumbled, and nearly fell.

Sokka glanced to the railing and back again, torn. But in reality, he had already made his decision a few days ago. With a shove that only an Angry Jerk could do, he pushed his way back through the crowd to Jin, catching her hand in his. Together, they moved with the crush of people, and to freedom.

* * *

**OOOOOOO**

* * *

Zuko ran alongside Toph and Katara down the long corridor to the nearest exit. With each step he took away from that horrible room, he felt more awake, more in control of himself. The earth and waterbender kept looking at him sideways, as if making sure his brain hadn't been melted into pudding. It hadn't, but sitting in that chair and facing his own demise had brought some very important things to his attention. And they didn't alarm him nearly as much as it should have.

They heard a shout echoing down the stone passage, but it was only Aang. The Avatar greeted them with a loud cry of, "Sokka!" and a moment later he was nearly bowled over by an enthusiastic airbender. Zuko found himself chuckling, pushing Aang back with assurances that he was alright, that the girls saved him in time.

And he really was. He really was alright.

"I'm just glad we got the family back together." Aang chirped, as they crossed a long courtyard to where Appa was sitting, waiting patiently.

Family. He didn't have his honor, or his throne. He had a family instead.

* * *

**OOOOOOO**

* * *

The sun was beginning to rise once again over the walls of Ba Sing Se, and Sokka took heart from it. Turning his unscarred cheek to the east, he breathed in deeply and felt the energy flow through his veins and quicken his heartbeat.

Jin was watching him curiously. She had been mostly silent on their escape from the prison, aside from the quiet request for Sokka to walk her back to her to her house in the lower rings. He was going to do that anyway— surely her parents would be frantic that their daughter hadn't come home the night before, and he didn't want her to take all the heat herself.

Ugh. More firebending puns. He had to stop doing that.

Hand in hand, they walked down the streets to some of the less dingy suburbs. It was so early that the residents hadn't even started to stir, and Sokka felt like he and Jin had the entire world to themselves.

Suddenly Jin stopped. Sokka assumed that they had made it to her home, but she made no move to knock at the door. She was still looking at him, but now her mouth was set in a firm line. When she spoke, her voice was quiet, resolute. "I'm going to ask you a few questions, and this time I want the truth. How can you be born in the Water Tribe? I've heard your stories, Sokka. You love the South Pole. It's part of you. So how are you a firebender?"

The question took him completely by surprise. He gaped at her, and she went on. "And I want to know if you truly are a firebender, why aren't I afraid of you?"

That, at least, was something he thought he could answer. "Well, it's hard to be evil all the time…" the joke fell flat. Sokka sighed. "I know what you mean. I used to think the same thing. The Fire Nation was a bunch of evil savages set on taking over the world. I guess… we're not all bad, Jin. At least, I don't _think_ I'm bad." He touched his chest with his free hand, and a small voice couldn't help but wonder if he was talking about himself this time… or Zuko. He was a jerk, but he wasn't evil.

Her eyes softened, and she seemed to be mulling this over. "You still didn't answer my first question."

"That's because," Sokka sighed again, "I can't."

"Why?"

"I can't tell you that, either."

Their gazes locked, green against gold. Then she nodded, and her hand slipped from Sokka's grasp. "I'm sorry, Sokka." Maybe another girl would have been crying, but not Jin. She was small and cute, and she had her own strength. "I'm really sorry, but don't like being lied too. If you can ever tell me the truth… I'll be here." Then she turned around, and fled.

Sokka watched her go. Then, with head hanging down with his ever growing dark hair sweeping into his eyes, he turned around and walked back the way he came.

* * *

**OOOOOOO**

* * *

It took Toph and Katara nearly a full hour to tell Zuko and Aang all about their own crazy adventure. How they had waited and waited for the boy's return, before realizing that something had gone wrong. How, flying on Appa, they had blasted through the palace wall, fought dozens of Dai Li agents off, and finally confronted the Earth King.

And how, just as they had King Kuei convinced (but not before literally flying him to the far outer wall to see the Fire Nation's giant abandoned drill) Long Feng had finally made his appearance, only to be arrested on the Earth King's command. Apparently, he had been too distracted by the boy's arrest to realize what was going on until it was too late.

"And the Earth King wants to see you as soon as possible, Aang. After we get some rest, of course." Katara was at Appa's head, directing the beast to land outside of their old guest house. Zuko had a moment of confusion before he realized that with Long Feng out of the picture they could return safely. Good, because he still had a few changes of clothing in there, and he was sick and tired of this servant's uniform.

"Yeah," the Avatar yawned loud and wide, making Zuko realize how tired he also felt. The sun was coming up, and the last time he had gotten a good nights sleep was… what… two days ago? He didn't think Sokka's body had it in him.

Suddenly, Aang snapped his fingers, dismounting Appa with a flourish. "Oh! We did get something good done. We found some records!"

"Records?" repeated Toph, dubiously.

But Zuko had caught on, and was already digging in his deep pockets, carefully avoiding the one he had stashed his own into. He brought out the ripped parchment. "Long Feng's office was stuffed with these." He handed one to Toph, who made a sound of disgust and handed it to Katara to read.

"A Guru wants to teach me about the Avatar State!" Aang grinned around at them, as they slowly walked in their house. "He's waiting for me at the Eastern Air Temple."

Meanwhile, Katara had unfolded Toph's parchment and summarized it quickly. "It's a letter from you mom. She's here in the city and she wants to see you!"

Toph's face lit up in brief surprise, before turning into a disgusted scowl. "What does Long Feng want with our letters from home anyway?" She shook her head, "That's just sad."

"Sokka," Katara was looking at him, and the last piece of parchment he had in his hand. "Was there anything for us?"

Unsure of what to say, Zuko just nodded and handed it over.

With visibly trembling fingers, she unfolded it. "It's… a small fleet of Water Tribe ships protecting the mouth of Chameleon Bay... led by Chief Hakoda!" She captured him in a swift hug. "It's Dad!"

"Yeah," he forced a laugh, suddenly aware that Toph's head was turned towards him, as if she was looking at him. "Great…"

Finally Katara released him, and reread the intelligence report again, almost as if she couldn't believe her eyes. "It's all such big news," she looked around towards the others. "Where do we even start?"

There was silence from all four of them. Aang put down his letter, and voiced what everyone had been thinking. "No, we just got the family back together. We're not splitting up."

Katara shot Zuko a look, full of meaning that he couldn't quite grasp. "Aang, you have to see this Guru. You need to master the Avatar State."

For some reason, the young monk took a hard long look at Zuko before he nodded, shoulders dropping. "Yeah, I guess." Then he brightened, "Well, I can drop you off at Chameleon Bay on the way there."

Zuko was still aware that Toph was looking at him, or at least as much as a blind girl could look. He forced himself to ignore her, for now. "Katara, you should go see Dad. Someone needs to stay behind and help the Earth King." And he was best suited for the job, in more ways then one. Yes, he had started to accept them as his friends, as family, but he was no traitor to his people. There would not be an invasion of the Fire Nation on his watch.

But Katara shook her head. "No Sokka, I know how badly you want to help Dad. You go to Chameleon Bay. I'll stay here with the King."

"No, really," said, Zuko. "I'm fine. You go see Dad."

"Sokka—"

"Why are you being so stubborn? He's there. You go see him." He laid his hands out as if putting blocks in a neat, organized order.

"But… he's been all you've talked about for two years."

"Look, Katara. We both know I'm the best one for helping the Earth King—"

"Oh, is _that_ how it is?"

Meanwhile Aang and Toph were both following the rising argument, heads swinging back and forth like tennis players at a match. Finally, Aang stepped forward, holding out his hands peaceably. "Whoa there, guys. Do you really need to fight about this?"

"Your right, Aang." But Katara's narrowed eyes never left Zuko's, "Sokka should just go. Like he wants too."

There was a particular emphasis on those last few words, enough for Zuko to pause. Something wasn't right here. Why didn't she want to go see her father? Zuko knew his own reasons, of course, and knew that everyone fully expected him, Sokka, to jump at the chance. He was in real danger of raising their suspicions, and now…

Now suddenly he felt a real panic at being found out, and not losing his chance at capturing the Avatar… at being rejected by these people. "Fine," he bit out, at last. "I'll go."

* * *

Even though it was daybreak, all of the kids were exhausted. Zuko and Aang hadn't slept at any point though their ordeal, and Katara and Toph were tired from their own brutal raid. After finalizing the rest of the details — it was decided that they would depart the next day for their mission after seeing the Earth King — they headed over to the raised platform for a little shut-eye.

All except for Zuko.

He was exhausted. His eyes felt gritty, and he knew he probably wasn't thinking straight. But he also knew the only way he would ever get any privacy to look at his parchment would be when the rest of the gang was out cold.

It took a force of willpower to stay awake. He had never slept so much in his life as when he had been put in Sokka's body, and the only way he could keep on this side of conscientious was to dig his fingernails in his own palms.

Eventually, deep breathing and soft snores filled the house, and he knew it was safe. Rolling over, he untucked the square of paper out of his white and blue tunic, and finally read.

**Name**: Iroh (AKA: Dragon of the West)

**Age**: 65 (Approx)

**Occupation**: Tea Server

**Location**: Lower Ring, Third Quarter, 42nd district – Apartment 256

**Suspicious Activities**: Known firebender. (Alerted by citizen Jet— reeducation #3789). Under strict surveillance. No arrest yet; may lead to other Fire Nation defectors within the city.

**Family**: Royal Fire Nation, traveling with Prince Zuko

**Name**: Zuko (AKA: Lee)

**Age**: 16 (Approx)

**Occupation**: Tea Server

**Location**: Lower Ring, Third Quarter, 42nd district – Apartment 256

**Suspicious Activities**: Known firebender. (Alerted by citizen Jet— reeducation #3789). Under strict surveillance. No arrest yet; may lead to other Fire Nation defectors within the city.

**Family**: Royal Fire Nation family, traveling with Iroh (AKA, Moshi, Dragon of The West)

The Dai Li knew… they had known all along. Jet had told them everything, and the rest….

Zuko's hand drifted automatically to the left side of his face, and he was almost startled to find smooth skin there. Well, it wasn't hard to put two and two together with his distinctive scar. Jet had set them on their trail and one way or another the Cultural Authority had figured it out.

He wanted to hate the memory of Jet for betraying him, but knew first hand how the Dai Li extracted their information. He had been helpless, and Jet even more so.

They knew about Uncle. How long until he was arrested and reeducated? Even with the Earth King apparently in power for the first time, Zuko wasn't willing to bet Uncle's life that it was safe. They wouldn't see an old tea-loving man who was looking for a new life. They would just see Fire Nation.

And they would throw him in that chair, and — no. He had to warn him.

In a moment Zuko was up and heading for the door. He didn't know what he was going to do, really. Or how he was going to do it. Maybe he would leave a note on the door. Maybe he would… well, the first thing he had to do was get there.

Shutting the front door as quietly as he could, he set down the street.

Despite his best intentions, despite the surge of adrenaline running through him, he dozed off on the monorail down to the lower ring, only to be shaken awake by a kindly old woman. "This is the last stop, dear. You'd better get going."

He and Uncle had lived in the far reaches of the outer ring, luckily not too far from the end of the rail-line. Knuckling his eyes, he set off on a brisk walk down dusty, overcrowded lanes.

His heart seemed to skip a beat when he finally rested his eyes on their run down apartment complex. And abruptly all thoughts of leaving an anonymous note went right out of his head. He had to see his uncle, had to make sure he was okay.

Forcing his tired legs into a heavy jog, he rounded the last corner. There was the door. He knocked, tentatively at first, and then harder when there wasn't an immediate answer.

Nothing.

If he had his days right, it was Uncle's usual day off at the teashop. A tingle of dread went up Zuko's spine. He tried the door handle, surprised when it slid easily under his fingers. Then, taking a deep breath and pulling some limp excuse out of thin air, he went in. "Sorry for the interruption, sir, but—" He stopped.

The room was empty.

The sights and smells of the apartment hit him in a rush, and he turned in place, looking at it all. It seemed to belong to another reality. That was the corner he used to sit and thing in (Uncle had called it sulking, but he had been _trying_ to meditate), and that was the wall that Uncle had hung a small cheep set of flutes. "I think it's long past time we reestablished music night, Nephew…"

And it was all gone.

There wasn't any sign of a struggle. No blood, no pieces of chipped china. Quite on the contrary, someone had obviously swept up. It seemed his Uncle had moved out. Gone on… without him.

_It's for the best._ He told himself, swallowing past his thickening throat. _He was under surveillance anyway, and I'm sure Sokka didn't stick around, and…_

Zuko couldn't go on. Picking what had been his favorite shadowed corner, he curled up his knees to his chest, ignored his own watering eyes, and slept.

* * *

**OOOOOOO**

* * *

Sokka turned the handle to the apartment door and stepped inside, hardly surprised at all to see his uncle look up from their small table. Iroh should have been at the Jasmine Dragon, but instead he was here at their new apartment, waiting for him. After all, he had been missing for a day and a half.

"Nephew," Iroh's tone was mild as usual, but his eyes were clearly full of concern, "that must have been one date."

Sokka snorted, and closed the door behind him. If he had his own body, he would have been dead on his feet, but even Zuko's body was exhausted. His scarred eye felt dry, and he rubbed it absently with the back of his head. "Yeah, well we sort of got arrested by Dai Li agents. I guess one of them recognized me from the lake. It took awhile to get out of their hidden prison, and she dumped me. That was great, too." He looked up, finding Iroh staring at him with a pensive expression on his face. "So… how's the unpacking going?"

"I'm nearly finished." His uncle set aside the basket he was working on. "Do you think we can expect trouble from the Dai Li over this?"

It occurred to Sokka that Iroh must have really had a lot of confidence in Zuko — in him. His own father would have been at his side in an instant, quizzing him on everything and offering instantly to help mop up the remaining mess. But Iroh trusted him to take care of his business, to fight his battles and win them. He, would only step in if asked.

"No," Sokka said, after a moment of thought. Then he laughed, and it came out bitter. "The Avatar is the one who broke us out – all the prisoners. They'll be more interested in finding him then me."

Iroh nodded. "That's good, nephew. You should have a cup of tea. It will help revitalize you."

"No… sleep first." He looked longingly towards the bedroom — his own bedroom since Iroh had been given a nice large apartment to go with the tea shop. "Tea later. The grand opening is tomorrow, right?"

"It is." A flash of pride crossed the old man's face, making Sokka smile.

"Great." He paused at the doorway to his bedroom. "Don't worry, Uncle. I wouldn't miss it for the world."

* * *

**OOOOOOO**

* * *

**Note**: Just in case it wasn't clear: Back with the Dai Li, Zuko thought he was hearing Katara call his name, when she was calling for Sokka all along. :)

As always, thanks for reading!


	9. His Father's Love

**Note:** Sorry about the wait! Have you ever had one of those weeks where you spend your an weekend trying to get diving certified, and then get a massive double ear infection that takes you out of work and stops you from completing the final dive the next weekend? Yeah, I've had one of those week's. Sigh. Well, there is always writing! :)

And I just can't wait for the new episode tonight!

* * *

**OOOOOOO**

* * *

An uncomfortable dry heat woke Zuko up sometime around mid-afternoon. He reluctantly got to his feet, and after checking the apartment one last time for clues where Uncle might have gone — there weren't any, not even a hidden White Lotus tile — he started making his slow way home.

The trip back was uneventful, and his mind drifted to other places. How was he going to get out of visiting Sokka's father? He didn't want to see the man. He didn't even know him, and even though it shamed Zuko to admit it… he didn't know how a normal father should act.

He stepped lightly on the wider streets of the upper ring, frowning in thought. _His _father was an important man, always busy with running the Fire Nation. Sokka's father was a peasant, and… what if he wanted to talk about 'old times'? Zuko had no memories of Sokka's childhood.

Then, without any warning at all, the ground swallowed him up.

Zuko let out a rather undignified yelp. He had just sunken waist deep in solid rock, which meant —

"Where did you think you're going, Snoozles?"

He closed his eyes. Toph.

She walked right in his line of vision, hands on her hips, her lips pressed into a thin line. "Next time you decide to sneak out, remember that you are living with the best Earthbender in the world." The ground tightened almost painfully around his legs as she spoke. "And don't you forget it!"

He glared back at her, not amused, and very much aware that a corner of the damning piece of parchment about Uncle and himself was sticking out of his tunic. Toph couldn't see that, but she could apparently see much more; his heartbeat, his breathing. If she asked the wrong question, he'd be done for. "I went out." Zuko snapped, figuring anger was the safest — and easiest option. "That's allowed, right?"

"Wrong. You went out when you thought everyone was asleep. You were upset, and you were out for blood."

The ironic, dry way in which she said that reminded him strongly of Mai, for some reason. Gritting his teeth, he tried to answer in his most reasonable voice which somehow came out as high pitched and panicky. "There's… there's just something I had to do, okay?"

"No, it's not okay!" The little earthbender stamped her foot and immediately Zuko was pelted with a shower of pebbles. "Both you and Katara are keeping secrets. Neither one of you wanted to see your father, and, now you're sneaking out when you think no one is looking."

He tried one more time to pull himself out of the rock, but suddenly his hands sank down as the ground solidified around them. Now he was completely suck. Zuko sighed. He had to keep this as vague as possible. "Someone I care for was in danger from the Dai Li, and I went to go warn him. That's all it was."

Toph jaw clenched, and Zuko knew that she 'saw' he wasn't lying, but still wasn't happy with his answer. He had to think of something fast before he got smothered by ten tons of Earth. "Look, if I thought I was in danger or if it would hurt any of you I would have said something. But… he wasn't even there!" A wave of unexpected loss made his still settling voice crack. He winced against it, looking down. "It doesn't matter."

The little earthbender was quiet for a long, long moment before she spoke. "Fine." And with an uplift of her hand Zuko popped out of the hole like a cork. He landed with an ooph in a rather graceless heap, and Toph bend down to help him up. But she still wasn't smiling. "So what was with you and Katara earlier?"

There wasn't any question what she meant. Zuko thought of his father, and the last time he had seen him. His worst memory — the Agni Kai duel-yard. "My relationship with my father… it's complicated. I respect him, but—"

"But you don't know if you love him."

He glanced at her, bemused that she had gotten to the point so quickly. Then again, that was Toph. "What, are you suddenly, a mind reader?"

"No." Her voice was short, and she walked over to the steps of their guesthouse, sitting down and resting her chin on her knees. "My father thinks I'm some kind of china-doll, some weak little girl who can't take care of herself. I think he's… ashamed because I'm blind." She let out a hitched breath and rested her forehead on her arms. Her words came out muffled. "I hate him."

Zuko hesitated, unsure what to do or how to act. What would Sokka say? Zuko had no idea what the Water Tribe boy's real relationship with his father was, although he suspected it was warm since Katara mentioned it had been all he talked about for the last two years. But Zuko had no experience with that. Toph would know he was lying anyway. So he spoke from his heart. "Hate is a pretty strong word." And he knew. After all, he had hated a lot of things in life, more often then not, he had hated himself. "I haven't always… gotten along with my father, but he is part of me. He's an honorable man. And I know that sometimes I haven't always agreed with his methods, but he did it because he's trying to do what's best for me."

"Even if it's shutting you away and pretending that you don't exist?" Toph's voice was full of a very familiar sort of bitterness, and Zuko closed his eyes.

"Yeah."

He didn't think that he would ever have anything in common with the Avatar's friends, much less a blind earthbender, but at that moment, sitting on those steps he knew that he did.

* * *

**OOOOOOO**

* * *

Sokka dreamt; vague, disjointed images flashed in front of his eyes — disturbing and sad, and something about suffocation… then… then it felt as if he was burning from the inside out. He couldn't breathe… he was burning…

No, it was real! It was real!

His golden eyes shot open, and all he could see around him were flames. His very bed was on fire.

Sokka swore and rolled quickly to the side. Once he was safely away he turned around, unthinkingly putting out a hand to reach to the fire; drawing it back, down and finally out.

He hadn't been burned, but it was a very near thing. The newly stuffed futon was destroyed.

Sokka knelt by the ruin and mess, his breath shaky. Absently, he rubbed at his chest. It burned on the inside, a pain he had grown to associate with the feeling of loss. He ruthlessly shoved it away like all the rest.

That must have been some dream. He couldn't remember the specifics, and was mostly glad now, seeing how it had made him accidentally set his own bed on fire. This was about a hundred times worse than the time he dreamt that food ate people.

Someone should have really told him that firebenders could bend in their sleep. Sokka was really getting tired of trying to figure this stuff out the hard way… although he did vaguely remember one time when he, Katara, and Aang had been first heading up north. He and his sister had woken up to what they thought was a windstorm — a windstorm that died out as soon as the young Avatar woke up. At the time, Sokka had passed it off, tossing it away as some sort of freaky elemental magic he didn't want or care to understand.

Now he wished he had paid attention, at least a little.

Sokka sighed loudly, reaching up to run a hand though his sleep-tangled hair. It was getting long, and needing a cut soon. He'd think about that later. First, the bed. Then maybe some more sleep, if it was still early enough.

Wincing against the sharp pain of his bad arm, he rolled up the blackened remains of the futon and hefted it over his shoulder. While he had finally gotten his own bedroom with the new apartment, it was small and lacked windows. So the sudden brightness from the main room caught him off guard – it was later than he had thought.

Iroh was up, puttering around their small kitchen and cutting snips of some kind of white flower into a tea-strainer. He looked up at Sokka's approach, his eyes falling to the bed. A vague look of surprise crossed his face, but as usual he said nothing about it at first. "I am trying a new blend of chamomile. Would you like to try it?" he glanced again at the ruined mess, "It is good for the nerves."

"Maybe later." Sokka didn't know what to expect; chastisement or something. He had just burned a brand new bed, after all. But then again, it wasn't his uncle's way. With a mental shrug, he hefted the mattress out the door into the hallway. He would take it to the street corner when he and Iroh went out to open the new Tea Shop.

Walking back in, he noted that Iroh had poured him two cups anyway. Apparently, his offer for tea had not been a request.

His uncle continued dicing the white flower into smaller and smaller bits, but Sokka could see him watching him slyly out of the corner of his eye. "It has been a long time since you last burned your bed, Zuko. You were five, or six?"

Sokka shrugged, blowing on his tea to cool it instead of providing a direct answer. He was becoming far too practiced at avoiding questions like this, about Zuko's past. Still, something in the way his uncle was casually approaching the subject touched some long forgotten memory of his own childhood. He smiled, "Uncle, I only burned the bed. I didn't wet it."

"Losing control of your element while sleeping can be a warning sign of great inner imbalance."

"Hey! Do I look imbalanced to you?" But Sokka thought immediately to when he had freed Appa under the lake, and all he had given up since then. He had made his choice, and he wasn't the type of guy to go back on it. But seeing Aang in the prison escape had showed him exactly how tenuous that decision was. Could that be it? Sokka frowned, looking from his cup of tea to Iroh's watchful eyes. "Fine. Maybe I am… a little. So what do I do about it?"

He was silent for a long moment. "I admit, I was a little surprised that this sort of thing had not come up earlier. You had been hunting the Avatar for years. He was your source of hope, and when you let that go to follow a new path, that could not have been easy for you."

Iroh reached out as if to lay a hand on Sokka's shoulder, but Sokka shook his head and moved away. He didn't feel like being comforted right how, and he had the feeling that Zuko wouldn't either. Standing up, he walked to the window and looked out while Iroh spoke again. "You must find inner harmony within yourself. You are Lee, a refugee who lives with his uncle… but you are also Zuko and he is a Firebender."

Sokka swallowed, finding it odd how close Iroh was to coming to the truth. He didn't trust himself to look back at the old man, just continued staring out the window towards the rising sun. "So what do I do?"

"Since your inner imbalance has manifested itself in your bending, I would suggest practice. Sometimes, something so simple can be meditative."

Sokka nodded, thinking back about how, when he was younger, sometimes he and Katara would get into an argument and the best way to cool off would be to go outside and toss his boomerang around. He didn't think he was all that 'imbalanced' but then again waking up to a bed-full of flames wasn't all that great either.

"There is a rock quarry on the edge of the outer ring," continued Iroh, "perhaps you should go today."

"What?" Finally, Sokka turned around, facing him. "No, today is the grand opening. I'm not missing that."

"Zuko, I'd rather you find balance—"

"No," Sokka said firmly, and knew that his voice booked no argument. "I'll practice tonight. You need help with the shop today, and I'm not going to miss out on that because of one stupid burned bed."

His uncle looked at him for a long moment and then nodded, and Sokka caught a hint of a smile on his face before he turned to a simmering pot on the stove. "I'm cooking some jook. Do you want some?"

"I'd love some, Uncle."

* * *

**OOOOOOO**

* * *

Normally Zuko would have enjoyed the feeling of sitting on the flying bison, of soaring and swooping and the total freedom of nothing but air around him. But as he caught the first sight of dark blue sails just over the horizon, a deep feeling of dread sunk in his stomach, making him feel ill.

Earlier in the morning, while Aang had been meeting with the Earth King, Zuko had pulled Katara aside and offered once more to stay behind and let her visit her father. Her response had been sharp and unpleasant, and they would have gotten in another argument had Toph not stepped in and encased them both in stone.

After that, Zuko and Katara's exchanges with each other were nothing but cold. The only time she warmed up was when the Earth King mentioned that some kind of Kyoshi Warrior was about to join their ranks.

Zuko didn't know what Katara's problem was. He had his own father, and didn't need to see this one… why was she being so hostile? But he didn't know her well enough to ask without tipping anyone off. In the end, everyone was expecting him to be happy and excited, so he finally gave in and pulled a dopey grin on Sokka's face. Only Toph seemed to know the difference, but she had remained silent.

Appa swooped down closer, coming to land on the top of a cliff overlooking Chameleon Bay. A fleet of wooden ships had been pulled to shore, and blue tents littered the beach. From his high point, Zuko could hear laughter of men and some kind of low-tuned flute floating up from the camp site.

Maybe it would be easier if he just threw himself off the cliff's edge.

Beside him, Aang turned, an innocent look on his face. "You haven't seen your Dad in over two years. You must be so excited."

Zuko closed his eyes. In fact, it had been more like three years since he had last seen his father. His stomach lurched and he put a hand to it. "I just feel sick."

"Don't be nervous. He's going to be so happy to see you!" The Avatar put a hand on his shoulder, and Zuko smiled, despite himself.

If only he was going to see his real father…

He glanced once more to the campsite and then reached for his pack. He had also brought along that useless boomerang, mostly to keep up appearances. Finding his pack, he slung it over his shoulder. "I guess I'll just… head off then." He said doubtfully, sliding off the bison and landing lightly. He glanced back at Aang, wishing that he could find an excuse to go along with the boy instead of having to face the unknown. "Aren't you nervous to meet this Guru?"

"Not at all! I'm ready to master the Avatar State." Aang flashed him another smile before snapping Appa's reigns. "See you in a week! Appa, yip-yip." Then with a rush of air the sky bison leapt into the sky.

Zuko watched them fly away until Appa was a tiny blip against the clouds, and then nothing at all. He sighed, turning back to the camp. He didn't want to do this. There were countless things that could go wrong. Aang and his friends weren't so bad, but he had no desire to live among Water Tribe men for a week. Besides… he had his own father. He didn't want to meet Sokka's.

For how long he stood there, he couldn't say, but in the end, he didn't have much choice. Katara, Toph and Aang expected him, Sokka, to go down and have some sort of family reunion. He'd been unable to back out, and now he just had to go through with this.

Zuko tilted his head towards the sun, instinctively seeking its warmth and guidance. Instead, though, his eyes fell upon the pale outline of the hovering moon. She looked down on him with a strong sort of benevolence, and somehow… he felt calmer.

He picked his way down the cliff, and before long found himself walking sullenly across the outskirts of the camp. One by one the tribesmen stopped what they were doing and rose, walking forward to greet him. Zuko tried to see some kind of recognition in their eyes… he had no idea what Sokka's father looked like. But all the men were grinning, and within a few moments he was surrounded. He found his hand being shook, and one made a comment about how tall he'd grown, and playfully tried to push him down to size. Zuko smirked and straightened himself up to Sokka's full height to the pleased murmurs of the men.

If he imagined hard enough he could almost — almost make himself believe that it this was really him and that he was returning to the Fire Palace…

… and that his people would be happy to see him return as a warrior. No longer a boy, but a man.

Suddenly the warriors parted, and Zuko looked beyond to see a large blue upraised tent stretched across four poles.

One of the Water Tribe warriors helpfully said, "He's in there."

Taking a deep breath, Zuko nodded and walked to the opening. In his mind's eye he was no longer walking across the pebbly beach, but instead crossing the marble steps of the Fire Palace… his father would be sitting there waiting for him, beyond the curtain of flames.

He parted the tent flaps and stepped in, Sokka's eyes needing no adjustment from the bright outside to the dim light from within. A group of tribesmen sat around a map, and one with newly healed burn-marks looked up towards him and smiled. He then nudged another man who sat in front, studying the map with concentration.

The man, more decorated then most, and clearly the leader, looked up. Zuko met his blue eyes, and saw the registered shock and then elation in them. The man stood up, murmuring, "Sokka."

He knew, _knew_ then that this was him. A smile, the first full one since Zuko could easily remember, crossed his face. His heart ached, and he so wished that it was_ his_ father…

"Hi Dad."

* * *

**OOOOOOO**

* * *

With a scroll of General How's battle plans in hand, Katara walked confidently across the streets of the Upper Ring. Her bad mood had long ago faded, courtesy of Momo's wild antics during the war meeting.

She and her brother had always been close, but that didn't mean that she sometimes didn't want to strangle him. Why was he being so stubborn and wanting to stay behind when there was a chance to see their father?

_Why were you so stubborn?_ A little voice inside her mind whispered. Katara shoved it back. She had her reasons. It would be good for her brother to see their father. Maybe he would start smiling again. Besides, she was strong. Sokka always said that he was the idea guy, well, she was the one who took care of them all, and that meant being the anchor for the group and staying here.

As she walked, Katara firmly put her mind to the ever brightening future. She planned to drop off the battle plans first and then to catch up with Suki and the rest of the Kyoshi Warriors. She and the others just learned about their arrival a few hours ago, and she was eager to hear all what had happened to her friend since they last saw each other.

Momo twittered on her shoulder, wrapping his long tail about her neck. Katara reached up to pat his head. The little lemur was hungry, and for once so was she.

She caught the scent of spice in the air and turned to see a new gleaming tea shop. She hesitated. It would be the responsible thing to go on and deliver the battle plans at once, but the Earth King wouldn't notice if she were only a couple of minutes late. "What do you say, Momo? A cup of tea before we get back to the King?"

The lemur purred, and Katara smiled, stepping to the entrance where a young hostess waited. "Table for two please—"

A voice, rough, and shockingly familiar, cut over the babble of customers. "Uncle, I need two jasmine, two green, and one lychee! How's the tea machine working?"

She turned and stared in shock and horror. Zuko. Her eyes saw, but didn't register his green waiter's uniform, the way his left arm was bound up in a sling, and the smile on his scarred face. He had his back mostly to her, and was addressing an aged man.

The old man smiled at the prince, and Katara recognized him as Fire Nation as well — the General. "It's working just fine. I'm brewing as fast as I can!"

With a gasping noise, Katara turned and ran away as fast and hard as she could. She didn't bother to wonder what Aang's top enemy was doing in a tea shop of all things, or why if he and his Uncle were in Ba Sing Se they hadn't attacked yet. She just had one thought on her mind: She needed to warn the Earth King!

She twisted right and left, running up the long stairs without break and into the luxurious halls of the Palace. Having seen her yesterday in the presence of the Earth King, the servants opened the doors without question and soon Katara skitted to a stop at the main palace room.

The Earth King was gone, but in his place sat three heavily painted girls. Katara felt a sense of relief wash over her. "Suki!" she cried, "Thank goodness you're here! I just saw Prince Zuko and his Uncle! We have to tell the Generals and the Earth King!"

The girl she thought was Suki stood up, and Katara focused on her, realizing for the first time that her eyes were not green — they were gold.

"Oh don't worry," said Azula. "I already know about them. You can be assured that everything will be taken care of."

Katara didn't have a chance to react before Ty Lee rushed forward, planting her fingers perfectly on her pressure points. Katara's legs collapsed under her and the last thing she heard before she blacked out was Azula's low chuckle.

* * *

**OOOOOOO**

* * *

"Perhaps you should leave a little early."

Iroh's voice broke through the fog in Sokka's mind. He had been staring at the tea-maker, about to do… something. But the only thing he could think about was the constant, hungry burning in his chest. In the spare seconds he'd had between waiting tables, Sokka could almost imagine that there was a fire way deep down inside him, trying to get out. He had been aware of it for days now, ever since his decision at the lake, but now he could no longer push it away. Even concentrating on his new invention didn't help.

"Huh, what?" Blinking, he looked around as if waking up from a nap. The grand opening had been a huge success, but now that closing time was drawing near, the steady rush of customers had dwindled to a trickle. Sokka could only see two or three people in the back.

Iroh smiled. "You've done very well today. I can close up from here… it's time you looked after yourself."

Sokka slipped the apron over his head. "What, you don't like the idea of me accidentally burning down our fancy new apartment?"

"I can replace whatever is lost in the apartment." His uncle's golden eyes were on him, "But I cannot replace you."

That was the type of thing his own father would have said. Sokka paused, and then nodded, folding the apron over the top of a chair. "Thanks, Uncle. You know," he took one final glance at the shop, at his own invention, at the wise man standing before him, and allowed himself a swell of pride. "I never was really that into tea… but it's not so bad. Not really."

"It was good to share this day with you, Nephew."

Hearing the warmth and pride in his uncle's voice made Sokka smile again, even though his chest burned as if there was a living fire-snake coiled around his heart. Taking one last look about the Jasmine Dragon, and finding everything in order, he stepped outside and into the cool night air.

The directions to the rock quarry were direct, and soon he was walking among giant hills of chipped and blocked off rock. The sun had fully set, and Sokka could almost imagine himself in a forest among the towering rock-spires, reaching up to the night sky. Finding a flat spot somewhere in a valley between a low hill and two unstable looking rock walls, he turned his face to the sky where Yue sat, hovering.

"I hope you don't hold this against me." Sokka said, somehow keeping his voice light. "I just have to get this crazy fire-magic thing under control."

Of course, there was no answer from the moon, and after a long moment he turned his attention back inward to where the fire inside of him lurked.

Okay, so according to Iroh he was imbalanced, and even if Sokka didn't trust his word he sure did feel horrible. Normally when he felt on edge or down he would go practice among the snow drifts. He spent hours stalking invisible fire-nation soldiers and then smiting them down with the fury of his boomerang or club or handy stick. Afterwards, he'd always come home exhausted, but happier.

Sokka looked around at the mounds of earth littering the quarry and sighed again. So what was he supposed to do? He wasn't a little kid anymore, and pretending to stalk invisible Water Tribe or Earth Kingdom soldiers went against every fiber of his being. He didn't have his boomerang and Zuko's Dao swords were useless to him with one good arm.

It would have to be the fire then.

He frowned again, throwing the reddened scar in sharp relief against the moonlight. Katara had a series of moves she called Kata that she had practiced. Sokka had seen her do it a hundred times before, but it wasn't like he knew fire kata. Zuko's body had a certain degree of muscle memory, but that was different than actual knowledge.

Well, he had to do _something_. Standing in a rock quarry wasn't going to help anything.

Slowly, doubtfully, Sokka unwound the sling around his neck and stretched out the bad arm. It ached, but it was healing — slowly.

Settling his feet apart in a wide stance, he shut his eyes and tried to remember what his little sister used to do; the graceful, yet strong movements of her arms.

He struggled at this for a minute or so before he realized that this wasn't going to work at all. The movements he remembered Katara doing where wrong — all wrong, somehow. Water was different than fire. It was all flowy and graceful, and full of pushing and pulling goodness. Fire was quick, aggressive, powerful — and probably just a little bit evil.

It wasn't him.

Sokka returned to a normal standing position. This was impossible. Deep down inside, he was Water Tribe. Besides, he was a practical guy and this spiritual stuff just wasn't his thing.

A gleam of something metallic caught his eye, and he walked over to pick it up. It was the spade-end of a broken shovel, and as Sokka turned it round and round in his hands, feeling the sharpened edges, it occurred to him that maybe if he could heat up the thing he could smelt it into something useful like a new boomerang.

He had just started to concentrate on heating the metal when a slight crunch of rock behind him got his attention.

Instantly, Sokka whipped around into a crouched stance — one palm out and the other fist cocked. What he saw made his stomach clench and his unburned eye widen in surprise and fear.

The pale gloomy girl, the one who was so adapt with stiletto knives, stood right in front of him, a bored expression on her face.

"Hello, Zuko."

* * *

**OOOOOOO**

* * *

It was strange, Zuko thought, walking alongside Hakoda as the older man proceeded to give him a grand tour of their temporary camp. Strange how there didn't seem to be any official rank with these Water Tribe men — at least none that he could see. There weren't any commanders overseeing platoons of men, or captains barking out orders. Everyone referred to Hakoda cheerfully as 'Chief', but Zuko couldn't see anything to set him apart either, aside from his confident step.

Yet despite the lack of formal rank, the beach-camp was industrious. Half the men seemed to be involved in mending dark blue sails, the other half packing some sort of substance inside large round containers.

It was to one of these containers that Hakoda directed him, laying a firm, warm hand on his shoulder as he spoke. "This bay leads directly to the outskirts of Ba Sing Se. We've been using these tangle mines to stop Fire Nation ships from getting through."

Zuko's eyes widened almost imperceptibly. After glancing at Hakoda for permission, he stepped close to one of the large spheres and lifted the cap. A wave of putrid scent hit him full on, and he quickly replaced it, but not before he saw what was inside: Seaweed and what looked like skunk-fish. "If a ship were to hit one of these, it would jam up the propellers." He said, feeling a mix of horror and admiration. Thank Agni his own battleship had never come across one of these. "It'd take hours to get it untangled. And the smell…"

Hakoda nodded in satisfaction. "Very perceptive. Most of the time the Fire Nation don't even go that far. The smell drives them out, and they end up abandoning the ship."

"Unless they don't have anywhere else to go," Zuko muttered under his breath, watching the mines wryly.

"I call it," Hakoda paused, "The stink 'n sink."

Ugh. That was horrible. Zuko half groaned, causing Hakoda to laugh out loud and merrily slap his shoulders. "I see you've grown too old for my jokes!"

A man to his right, one that Hakoda had called Bato, grinned. "It happens to all of us, Hakoda. Look there, I think Sokka's grown about as tall as you now."

"You think?" Sokka's father sized him up, and Zuko automatically straightened under the scrutiny. There was at least a head's height still between the two of them, but you wouldn't know it from Hakoda's warm smile. "Not yet, but soon. Speaking of which," he gestured towards the other man then turned to face Zuko directly, "Bato's told me how you left the South Pole and started traveling with the Avatar."

Zuko felt his muscles tensed, ready and expecting the lecture to come.

"When I left you to look after our tribe and your sister, and I never doubted for a moment that you would do great things. I'm proud of you, son."

Looking in Hakoda's blue eyes, and seeing the love and pride there, something jagged and painful unclenched in Zuko's heart, despite himself. He knew the words weren't for him… but they felt good to hear, all the same. "Really?" He asked, and his voice cracked, "I mean, thanks… Dad."

"Hakoda!" All three turned to see another man, dressed in blue garb come running up. "Our scouts have spotted four Fire Nation ships."

Hakoda's jaw tightened imperceptibly, and then he nodded and started snapping orders. "Bato, get these mines loaded up." He turned to the rest of the tribesmen, who had set down their tasks and walked over to see what the commotion was about. "The rest of you men, get ready for battle!"

Zuko turned, doing a swift count. Assuming the four Fire Nation ships were some small _Bonfire_ class ships, these warriors would still be outnumbered nearly two-to-one.

Yet the rest of the men had broken up without complaint and were setting about their assigned tasks, breaking up the tents and playfully calling out to one another. The air was of purpose, with no hint of worry among them.

Bato must have seen the doubtful look on Zuko's face, because he grinned and offered cheerfully. "Remember, water is our element. Those hotheads won't stand a chance."

Zuko looked again at the wooden ships and blue sails, and imagined that against the might of the Fire Nation. These were traitorous thoughts he was having… for he should be rooting for the conquest of his Nation. But looking around, seeing the smiling faces of the men and one proud face of Hakoda in particular, he found himself asking, "Uh, what should I do, Dad?"

Hakoda favored him an amused glance. "Aren't you listening? I said the rest of you men get ready for battle."

There was a beat as Zuko processed the information. It felt good, and it hurt at the same time — hurt that it wasn't really his Dad who was saying those words. But he couldn't stop the smile on his face anyway, and with a quick nod, went to help Bato lift one of the heavy mines.

And later, an even more treacherous thought then one against his own country cropped up in his mind, along with a wave of guilt.

Sokka should have been the one to hear that from his father.

* * *

**OOOOOOO**

* * *

Sokka stared at Mai for a moment, dimly realizing that she knew him — or at least, Zuko. And why not? These bad guys always seemed to know each other. Slowly, watching her for any reaction, he lowered his stance. She didn't move, and he asked what he thought was the most logical question. "What are you doing here?"

She almost seemed to shrug without moving. "Tracking you. Not that it was very hard."

If that was supposed to be a jab, Sokka didn't care. "Congratulations, you found me. Now what?"

There was a measured pause from Mai. A slight flicker of emotion crossed her impassive features – too quick for Sokka to figure out what it was – before she stepped forward. "Is that all you have to say for yourself?"

_Keep pushing it back on her. Make her reveal her own reasons for being here._ Sokka thought briefly. His eyes flicked to a small nearby mound, the perfect cover to avoid her sharp knifes. He set his face into a scowl, and cautiously leaned towards the rock, ready to duck and run at a moment's notice. "Well, what do you want me to say?"

"The usual." She intoned. One hand drifted to the hem of her sleeve in a way that made the hair on the back of Sokka's neck stand up on end. He had, after all, been the target of those knifes before. Mai spoke again, and although her words should have carried some hint of passion, her tone was carefully measured, bored. "It's been three years, Zuko. You went from the boy I used to throw mud at to just gone and banished in one day. Why couldn't you just keep your mouth shut?" She hesitated, almost as if afraid she had said too much, or given away too much emotion. Sokka could practically feel the burn of her eyes on the left side of his face. "It doesn't matter. Your sister is coming, anyway."

She moved so quickly, that if Sokka hadn't been ready for it, he would have been taken by surprise. With a quick flick of her wrist a trio of knifes shot through the air, right at him. Sokka dived for cover, rolling behind a large bolder. A sharp twack, twack of metal hitting stone told him he'd just avoided being impaled by less than a second.

In a moment he was out again, running for the upper lip of the next rock hill. But she was faster than he had feared, and within a second he had to throw himself to the right to avoid another pair of knifes.

Sokka didn't think. He whipped around, dragging his foot as he did, intending to kick a shower of loose shale at her.

What he got instead was a torrent of fire that exploded outward from his right heel, and suddenly it was Mai was ducking for cover. Sokka should have used the moment to run, but he had been shocked at his own surprise firebending – and how good and natural it had felt. The hideous fire around his heart loosened its grip slightly. He didn't see Mai's unnaturally quick recovery, and suddenly he found himself launched backwards, sleeves pinned against a large rock by four expertly thrown knives.

Sokka struggled, but the knives had sunk in deep. He was stuck.

"Hmm…" Mai strode up to him, hands once again tucked idly in her sleeves. She wasn't even breathing hard. "That was easier than I thought it would be. Victory really is boring." She looked like she was going to say more, but almost on cue the sound of one person's clapping echoed throughout the rock quarry.

Sokka looked up to see none other than the Azula and her creepy smiling friend, Ty Lee standing at the lip of the crater.

He also didn't miss the flash of irritation on Mai's pale face, or the way that she instantly schooled it away.

"Excellent work, Mai." With one expert leap, the Fire Princess slid down the loose rock wall, coming to a stop right beside her impassive friend. "You've found my dear brother for me."

A strange shiver went up and down Sokka's spine. He had known that Azula was Zuko's sister, of course. But hearing it from her lips was another thing entirely. _Siblings don't fight each other… not like this…_

"You know, the Dai Li have all sorts of interesting records on you and Uncle," continued Azula, when Sokka remained silent. She walked up close, so close that he could smell a strange sort of scent about her — metallic and evil, "I've sent a team of Dai Li agents to retrieve him in that pathetic tea shop of his."

"No…" the word escaped Sokka's lips before he had chance to pull it back. Azula smiled in a surge of triumph, and he knew someway, somehow he had just screwed up. In desperation, he pulled once more against the pinning knifes, and felt one of them loosen, ever so slightly.

Azula turned her head towards Ty Lee, snapping out an order to paralyze him. Sokka had only a moment to move. Coiling his legs against the stone, he launched himself as hard as he could. The knifes snapped away, and a moment later he had grabbed Azula in an ungraceful tackle. They hit the ground hard. Sokka heard the air whoosh out of her.

Then there was an explosion of rock, a flash of blue, and Sokka was thrown roughly to the side.

The two firebenders got to their feet and faced each other, dropping into firebending stances. Sokka, with one fist cocked and Azula with two fingers at the side, and ready. Ty Lee made a move to step forward to help, but Azula shook her head. "No, I can handle him myself." Her lips curved up into an evil smile, "What are you going to do, Zuko? Challenge me to an Agni Kai?"

Agni Kai. There was that word again. Sokka suddenly understood the context of it. It was some kind of duel. He clenched his fist, thinking of Iroh and how he was about to be overwhelmed by agents in the tea shop. The burning in his chest dissipated, as he found new focus. He would have to embrace the fire – really accept it as part of himself, if he had any chance of winning this. "Yes, I challenge you!" he called back, "Just between you and me. Leave Pink Girl and Stabbity out of this."

"Hey!" Ty Lee yelped, from the side.

"Whatever." Mai sighed.

Azula smirked. "Well, that is the point of an Agni Kai, right?"

Sokka had the space of two heartbeats to prepare himself, to think of a plan, before a bolt of blue fire shot out, straight for his heart.

He leapt to the side and countered with a quick punch. He didn't know what he was doing, not really. But he had an idea, and that gave him hope. Once he let it, the fire leapt eagerly from his fingers in successive bright orange balls.

Azula took care of those easily, looking almost bored as she blocked and sent back her own blue flames. Sokka leapt over the sudden whip of fire, ignored the jabbing pain in his broken arm, and kicked out, sending a spiraling wave at her. She blocked with a quick wave of her hands, and he watched her closely for how she did it, copying the move when she retaliated.

Sokka held his own, but it was taking no effort at all for Azula to block or dodge him while he was doing everything in his power not to get yet another burn scar.

But he wasn't too worried. He had anticipated this.

He kept on the offensive, firing fireballs at her feet, making her dodge instead of attack. For every three attacks of his, she blocked or swerved two, but backed up one step. Finally, she stood almost back against a rock spire.

Azula seemed to sense Sokka's hesitation, and smiled at it. "Is that really all you have, Zuko? It looks like living as an Earth peasant has really dulled your skills." As she spoke, two fingers traced the air almost leisurely, creating sparks of energy behind them.

"No. It's not." And with one powerful step, Sokka thrust both his fists forward, putting everything he could into one blow… just like he had done in the warehouse as the Blue Spirit. A force of flame erupted from both fists with a concussive force.

Azula simply stepped to the side, letting the jet miss her and hit the rock wall instead. It was exactly what Sokka had hoped for.

With a rumbling noise, the unstable rock mound shifted over Azula. Sokka stepped back, safely out of harms way and watched the whole mound slide down right on top of the shocked Princess.

He had a moment of triumph — and a flash of deep regret. But then, right before it seemed Azula would be buried, she crouched down and living lightening sprung from her fingertips.

The explosion was enormous— so many times larger and louder than Sokka had ever heard before. He hit the ground, hands over his head, as bits of molten rock flew outward from every direction.

When the dust cleared, Azula stood in the middle of a shallow red crater, a murderous look of rage on her face, a single hair out of place upon her head.

Sokka gaped, and sprung to his feet before she attacked again. A flurry of blue flamed whipped out from punches and kicks that were too quick and efficient for him to even track. He found himself stumbling backwards, trying and failing to counter. But she had him backing up now, and he was realizing with horror that firebending didn't work so well on the defensive.

He knew then; knew that she had just been playing with him before. He hadn't had a chance at all.

He did a near flip to avoid another blast and in desperation he scooped up a large rock and threw it at her, scuttling back, trying to get room to breathe. It exploded in mid-air from one of her well timed fire blasts, and the resulting explosion knocked him down. He landed on his back and in a moment a blue flame wreathed fist hovered just over his nose.

Sokka froze, panting for breath. He was beaten.

"That was clever, Zuzu." Azula allowed, "But as you see, talent will always win. Ty Lee!"

The bubbly girl jumped to the command, and a couple of jabs later Sokka was truly helpless.

* * *

**OOOOOOO**

* * *

Even though all the Water Tribe men were set on their duty, it still took several hours to break down the camp and get the large wooden ships loaded up. Zuko mostly stuck by Hakoda and Bato, and was both surprised and dismayed to learn that neither could bend their element. In fact, there wasn't a single waterbender among all the tribesmen.

Zuko didn't want to draw comparisons between Hakoda and Ozai. It felt disloyal — but he couldn't help it. It was readily apparent that these men didn't follow Hakoda because he was powerful. They followed him because he extruded leadership from every pore. He had good ideas and they followed him not out of intimidation, or tradition, but out of loyalty and trust.

And he also couldn't help the warm feeling that came over him each time Hakoda would draw him aside, and carefully explain his plans… and ask, actually ask, for Zuko's input. As if he mattered. As if he was important to him.

"We've one more hour until the ships are ready to set sail." Hakoda said, on one of these occasions, as he checked his bearings on a map. "Based on our information, we won't reach the Fire Nation ships until well after sunset." He paused, absently scratching the back of his neck, "For some reason we always do better battling at night."

Zuko traced his finger along the map, checking the currents for what he remembered of his own travels. "That's because they don't have Agni — er, the power of the sun." He had said this almost absently, and didn't expect Hakoda's sharp look of surprise.

"What do you mean?"

"Well," Zuko put his own hand to the back of his neck awkwardly, unconsciously miming the man he was slowly coming to admire. "Firebenders get their power from the sun. So when it goes down and the moon comes up it's just not as easy to bend. They, er, don't see as well at night either." He added, "Their eyes are made to look and understand bright flame."

"Sokka, you're a genius." Hakoda turned and called out to the beach, "Men, get into your war-paint. Douse any and all lights on the ships once we're out on the water. We're going in silent and invisible!"

An answering roar from the men on the beach told Zuko that they approved of this idea. He hung his head sheepishly, once again feeling that mix of pride and shame. Pride that he had maybe just given these warriors and advantage, and shame that he had also just betrayed his own people.

"Now," said Hakoda, drawing his attention back to the map, "the current runs north-east this time of the year, but I think that we should hit them this way…"

And so the evening rapidly faded into night, and finally the ships were ready to cast off shore. Zuko hesitated at the bottom of a ramp leading to the ship, asking himself if he was really about to do this; if he was really about to join in battle with his enemy against his own countrymen.

Too many thoughts and feelings, impulses on both sides, tugged at his mind. He was actively hunted by the Fire Nation… but he wasn't even in that body anymore. Should he keep defending a nation that hated both the old him and the new him? Or should he join these warriors who were kind to him, and a father who loved him… even though he wasn't really that boy?

It was too much, and Zuko never really liked being introspective. That had always been Uncle's thing. His way was to follow through with action and let the rest of the world settle itself out.

So he put his foot firmly on the ramp and strode forward.

A whoosh of air and a low groan behind him drew his attention. He turned to see none other than Appa land with Aang on his head. The young Avatar locked his gaze with him, eyes full of despair. "Sokka, Katara's in trouble."

Zuko felt his heart sink.

* * *

**OOOOOOO**

* * *

Katara had walked all around her large cave cell at least three times before she admitted to herself that there was no way she could get herself out. The Dai Li had sealed every exit. At least she had light, courtesy of the upthrust glowing green crystals that littered the floor and stuck out randomly from the walls and ceiling in every direction.

And she had water.

She smiled to self, glancing back to a small crack in the far wall where a trickle of water seeped in to form a small puddle. When she had first got here it had only been a damp spot on the wall of the cave, but Azula's Dai Li agents were foolish to let a Master Waterbender alone by herself. She had felt like an idiot, mistaking Azula for Suki even under all of the heavy makeup.

Next time, Katara vowed, wouldn't be taken by surprise.

Unfortunately, that's exactly what happened about ten seconds later.

The roof of the cave fell apart with a crumble of stone, and brilliant light from outside flooded in, blinding her for a moment. She threw up her hands and between her fingers saw the outlines of three agents toss a shadowed form in. "You've got company," one sneered, before the stone wall resealed itself.

The prisoner tumbled down the sharp incline, landing with a heavy thud. Immediately, he curled in on himself, gasping and yelling to no one in particular, "Why! Why is it always my arm!?"

She knew that voice. "Zuko?!"

Immediately, the firebender whipped around, one hand still clutched over his arm. His face was alight with hope, relief, and joy. "Katara?!"

* * *

**OOOOOOO**

* * *

Brownie points to whoever got the tiny reference I put in there. Azula totally is Kung-Fu Action Mrs. Coulter.

Anyway, thanks for reading and I can safely say the next chapter will finally have Sokka and Zuko meeting! :D


	10. The Zutara Cave

**Authors note:** Wow! What about that finale?! I'm going to say more in my profile, but I think I had the same reaction that Wren Sharpbeak said in her AU Series: I'll never be able to top that. I'll never be able to come close. Ah well. I guess the only thing I can be, is me. :)

Oh, and about the chapter title... I can't help it sometimes. I like to poke a little fun at all of the shipping!wank that's been going on since the finale. C'mon, guys! Do we seriously need _lists _in a _fan fiction_ site about why your ship is better than others?

Anyway, I've had most of the scenes for this one planned in my head since the second chapter… but it was insanely hard to get it down on paper. Ugh. Well, here you go!

* * *

**OOOOOOOO**

* * *

Sokka struggled to his feet, still clutching his injured arm. Spirits, it hurt, but he didn't care. He didn't think he would ever see his little sister again, and here she was. Alive and whole. "Katara!" he gasped, a grin threatening to split his face into two. Exhilarated, he staggered towards her, "What are you doing here? Are you okay—"

SLAP!

The water came from nowhere, hitting him hard across the face.

Katara was staring— glaring at him almost like he had two heads. Belatedly, Sokka realized exactly what she must be seeing… Prince Zuko coming at her in some weird sense of joy. His shoulders dropped. "Oh. Right."

He finally was able to see his sister again… and she hated him.

"Oh, _right_?" Katara repeated, instantly incensed. "Did you happen to forget that you've been chasing us all over the world? What are _you_ doing here, anyway?" He opened his mouth to reply, but she didn't let him answer, "Let me guess. It's a trap so when Aang comes to rescue me you can finally have him in your little Fire Nation clutches."

Sokka stared at her for a full ten seconds, one eye widened in shock while the other kept its permanent glare. He considered telling her… but what would be the use? She'd never believe him. She just saw the firebender. Finally, he sighed and turned his back to her to find a convenient rock to sit on, still clutching his left arm. The uncontrolled fall down the short tunnel had hurt it all over again. "Yep, that's me." he said, and his voice was so full of bitterness he could almost choke on it. "I got myself thrown in here unarmed, well one-armed, to capture the Avatar. You _really_ got me there, Katara."

Out of the corner of his good eye he saw her stand in shock and surprise. Then her nostrils flared and her eyes narrowed. "You're a terrible person, you know that?"

Sokka sighed, defeated. He turned away. "You don't know what you're talking about."

"Oh I don't? You're always following us, always hunting the Avatar and trying to capture the world's last hope for peace! But what do you care?" continued Katara, "You're the Fire Lord's son! Spreading war and violence and hatred is in your blood."

That hurt. He knew it shouldn't have, but hearing it from her… it hurt. "Be quiet." growled Sokka, softly.

But he should have known better. She wouldn't be quiet. She was on a roll.

"You have no idea what this war has put me though! Me personally!" A sob rose in Katara's throat. "The Fire Nation took my mother away from me!"

Her words felt like a punch to the gut. Sokka whipped around, wanting to scream at her — to just jump up and demand that she look at him. Couldn't she tell who he was?! — But the moment he saw her all those thoughts flew right out of his head.

She had a hand pressed against her necklace and had sunk down on her knees, sobbing her own bitter tears. Sokka hadn't seen her cry like this since… he couldn't remember when. When mom died, probably.

She had always seemed so strong. He had no idea that she still hurt that much.

"I'm… sorry," he said, and his throat felt dry. "It's something we have in common."

Katara gave a shaky gasp. Wiping a tear away, she stared. "What?"

"I…." Sokka could practically feel her eyes burning into him. He started speaking, unsure where he was going with this. But it was the truth. In so many ways, it was the truth. "I lost my mother… a long time ago. I haven't even seen my father in years, and my sister…" he let out a low huff of a laugh that was anything but amused. "My sister hates me."

"Is that why you've chased us?" She asked, in a small voice. "I thought it was about your honor, but that wasn't everything… was it? You were trying to get your family back?"

Sokka swallowed hard, and then nodded.

There was a few minutes silence between the two as Katara sniffed and Sokka tried hard not to look at her. Finally, Katara stood up and offered him a small, tentative smile. "I'm sorry I yelled at you."

Sokka raised his eyebrow. "What about the water whip?"

She made a strangled sound, something close to a laugh. "And about that too."

"It's okay." He gave his broken arm another absent rub, and then let out a long breath he wasn't aware he had been holding. "I guess I sorta deserved it for startling you like that."

* * *

**OOOOOOOO**

* * *

Zuko crossed his arms over his chest, and resisted the urge to look back over his shoulder at the disappearing vista of Chameleon Bay. The morning sun had finally risen again, and they were far enough away that there was no way the dark blue sails still would be visible. Still, it didn't take away the sense of regret he felt… or the feeling of guilt he got over that regret.

Ugh. Since when did emotions get so overly complicated? For the first time in a long time he was dealing with emotions other than hate, or betrayal or despair… and he hardly knew what to do about any of it.

Zuko glanced first at Toph who was hanging onto his arm for dear life. He and Aang had over flown her while rock-surfing back to Ba Sing Se. She had been unusually abrupt and closed off concerning her visit with her mother, and Zuko was sure she was hiding something. If he wasn't allowed to have secrets, neither was she. After all this was said and done with, he was going to get to the bottom of it.

Then his glance slid to Aang, who sat solidly, eyes firmly fixed straight ahead with a grim look on his face. Whatever his vision concerning Katara had been, it wasn't good. Aang, too, had been closed off about his visit with the Guru, and although Zuko was just starting to get to know him, he knew this was unusual.

He let out a long sigh, wishing he could talk to someone about this. Someone like Uncle. He'd know what to do.

But in that, he was alone.

Aang snapped Appa's reigns, urging the bison to fly faster and Toph redoubled her grip on Zuko's arm. He was going to lose feeling in that limb if she kept on like that, but as tired and utterly confused with all these new emotions and alliances as he was… he didn't have the heart to tell her to relax.

**OOOOOOOO**

Zuko knew, before Toph had even voiced it, that the house was empty. It had the same sort of feel Uncle's old apartment had — as if all the life had gone out of the wood and space. Nothing had been moved, and a thin layer of dust had even settled upon the wooden floor.

A chill went up Zuko's spine, and he reached for the broadsword. It was like Katara hadn't even been back at all.

Momo came flying out of nowhere, clinging onto the Avatar's neck, chittering urgently in his ear as if trying to impart something important. Aang tuned to Zuko and Toph, his grey eyes fierce. "Katara is in trouble! I knew it!"

He was right. Zuko closed his eyes, thinking back to his last words with Katara — and their stinging argument over who was going to see her father. If anything happened to her…

Toph, who was still standing at his side, suddenly brightened. "Wait! Someone's at the door." Sure enough, a moment later a soft knock sounded. "Actually," said the little earthbender, not noticing the startled glances Zuko and Aang exchanged. "I know who it is." She strode over and yanked the door open and spoke to the person waiting outside. "I'm glad to see you're okay."

Iroh stood there at the door, a grim look on his face. "I need your help."

Zuko stared at him, and his fingers went slack, dropping the broadsword. It fell to the ground with a loud clatter he didn't even hear.

_Uncle…_

* * *

**OOOOOOOO**

* * *

"So, were you really working in a tea shop?"

Katara's question came out of nowhere, and Sokka jerked in surprise. "Who told you that?"

"I saw you taking orders." She paused, her lips curving up into a hint of a smile. "It wasn't like the place was very subtle."

Sokka couldn't help it. He chuckled, causing a startled glance from Katara. _I know, sis… they all seem a little too evil to laugh. _He thought, but what he said was: "Yeah… I don't think subtly is a Fire Nation trait…. The shop's called The Jasmine Dragon, and it's my Uncle's."

"Really? He doesn't look like the tea loving type."

To this, Sokka could only roll his eyes. "You have no idea," he said, "how obsessed that man is with tea." Then he realized that this was a subject they could safely talk about. Katara even seemed mildly interested. She sat down on the next rock over, just out of arms reach. Hopefully, she was starting to realize that he wasn't about to throw fire at her, or whatever. "We started out in this little run down tea shop in the Lower Ring. The man who ran it was a real idiot, and Uncle just sort of took over management and before long he was being offered his own shop and new apartment. I threw together a quick machine to help make more tea, faster. And he… well, he pretty much did the rest. Yesterday was our grand opening."

"Wow." Katara sat silent for a moment, and then she shook her head. "When I saw you… I ran away. I was trying to tell the Earth King, but I guess Azula got there first." Now a look of regret flashed over her face. "I think that's how she found out where exactly you were."

Sokka took in a sharp breath. Of course. It made sense. But he wasn't angry with her. In fact, he was almost glad… he thought he would never see his sister again. "It's okay." Suddenly, he sensed a opening, and took it. "What about you? Did you ever find Aa— The Avatar's Bison?"

"How did you—"

"Katara, there must have been hundreds of flyers littering the city."

"Oh." She was quiet for a moment, looking at him, considering, but she didn't say more than that, and Sokka understood. He was, after all, the enemy. But then she spoke again, taking him by surprise. "You keep using my name… I didn't even know you knew it. It was always just 'Water Peasant' before."

Sokka winced. "Oh yeah… sorry about that."

"And you keep doing that, too."

"What?"

She smiled. "Apologizing."

He considered that for a moment. "Yeah, well I guess… I guess when you live my life you've got a lot to apologize for. So, you were able to find your bison, though?" He needed to be sure, absolutely sure that his sacrifice for the big guy hadn't been in vain.

But Katara's smile reassured him. "Actually, he saved us. We were — it's a long story, but Appa showed up in the nick of time and took out about twenty Dai Li agents."

He knew she would wonder why "Zuko" smiled at that, but he didn't care. He leaned back against the stone wall, satisfied that he had done the right thing.

All of it was shattered a few moments later.

Katara was gazing around their crystalline cell, and muttered in an off hand way. "So, you don't have any Fire Nation tricks up your sleeve for getting us out of here?"

He smirked and shook out the sleeve on his good arm. "Nope."

"Don't worry. Once Aang, Toph and my brother realize I'm missing, they'll come for me."

Sokka opened his mouth to reply, and then snapped it shut, literally giving a double take. "Wait… did you just say… your brother?"

"Yeah…" She quirked an eyebrow at him. "Sokka. Why?"

A feeling like cold water rushed through him. He leapt to his feet, quite without knowing why. But… no… it was impossible. How could Zuko…? Why would—

But Sokka knew the answer to that almost at once. After all, General Iroh had followed him down to the lake, thinking the same thing.

* * *

**OOOOOOOO**

* * *

"Wait, you guys know each other?!" yelped the Avatar.

Zuko had a very bad moment before he realized that Aang was staring in abject disbelief at Toph. Not himself.

Sure enough, the little earthbender gave a casual shrug in his general direction. "I met him in the woods once and he gave me tea and some very good advice."

_When?_ Zuko wanted to demand, but of course, couldn't.

"May I come in?" Iroh asked, and at Toph's nod, stepped over the threshold. He seemed out of place in their house, especially to Zuko's eyes. "Princess Azula is here in Ba Sing Se."

"She must have Katara!" said Aang.

Uncle gave a grave nod. "Yes, and she has captured my nephew as well."

"WHAT?!"

Zuko hadn't meant to shout quite that loudly, and at once everyone was looking at him in surprise. He didn't care. He stared at his uncle, mind reeling. "What are you talking about? You can't mean that… you —you're talking about Zuko?!"

He had thought… he had assumed that Sokka had simply run off. It never occurred to him seriously that the Water Tribe boy had simply taken his place, like Zuko had. A thrill of horror gripped at his heart. Sokka couldn't have actually lived as him, could he? How could he firebend? How could he do anything? How could Zuko be replaced… just like that?

But the look Uncle gave him was one of kind understanding. "I know how you must feel about my nephew." He stepped forward, laying his hands on Zuko's shoulders, looking into his eyes, "But believe me when I tell you there is good inside of him."

He shook his head, not saying no, but out of silent denial. How could have Sokka fooled the Dragon of the West like this?

_The same way you fooled the Avatar's friends._ Said a small, unhappy voice in the back of his mind.

Aang stepped forward, pleading. "Sokka, Katara is in trouble. All of Ba Sing Se is in trouble. Working together is our best chance."

Zuko stared at him for a long, long moment. Finally, pressing his lips together, he nodded. The initial shock was wearing off, and he started to think again. Katara helped save him in the Dai Li prison, and she was in trouble now. His issue with Sokka was going to have to wait.

But he wasn't going to let it wait for long.

"I brought someone along who might be able to help us." Iroh turned and walked back through the door. Curiously, they followed and Zuko couldn't repress a snort of amusement at what he saw. His uncle had brought them a gift in the form of a tied, gagged and bound Dai Li agent sitting on their porch. "They ambushed my tea shop," his uncle said, sounding mildly put out, "So I brought this one along with me."

Toph stamped the ground and instantly two slabs of rock encased the poor man and brought him up close. Uncle casually pulled down the agent's gag, and at once the man started talking.

"Azula and Long Feng are planning a coup. They're going to overthrow the Earth King!"

"My sister!" Zuko growled, meaning Azula. He grabbed the nearest thing on his hip — the bladed boomerang and brandished it in the agent's face. "Where are they keeping Katara?"

"In… in the crystal catacombs of old Ba Sing Se, deep beneath the palace."

**OOOOOOOO**

Zuko purposefully let himself trail behind the others as they walked to where the agent had said the entrance to old Ba Sing Se lay. He felt confused, and disturbed. Not because he wasn't happy to see Uncle — he was, but every time he looked at him he wanted to just scream out. "Uncle, it's me! Don't you know who I am?!"

And what exactly had Sokka been doing all this time as him?

It was strange that he had never seriously considered this question. It had crossed his mind, in an abject sort of way. But now, faced with seeing Uncle… he wondered why it never really occurred to him before.

The more Zuko thought about it, the more he was sure that his lack of curiosity about his old body had probably been brought on by the Spirits themselves. Just like how he could only remember small bits and pieces of his Spirit World encounter. Now that he knew, he could hardly get his mind around the idea. It nagged at him… had Sokka been screwing up, as Zuko felt he had done a hundred times in his place? Did he like serving tea? Could he firebend?

He didn't notice that Iroh, too, was lagging behind until the aged man walked alongside him. "I take it, you never told your friends about your encounter with the Spirit World." he said, softly.

"How did you—" But Zuko already knew the answer. This was _Uncle_. He knew all about the Spirit World from his own travels. He broke off, shaking his head. "No."

Uncle gave a slow sort of nod. "My nephew did not want to speak of it, either. But I can tell that it affected him deeply. He is a changed man, and not the same boy that you brawled with out on the streets."

Zuko shut his eyes, feeling like his heart was being laid open. "He's a better person, then?"

The silent question hung unspoken in the air_: Is he a better nephew than I was? _

"What's better?" answered his uncle, easily. "I can tell you that he has opened his mind to more possibilities that before. He is more accepting. It wasn't easy for him, but he has come out a wiser person." A pause, "You must ask yourself if you have done the same. Are you still living in bitterness, or have you embraced your second chance?"

Zuko opened his eyes, watching Aang and Toph walk together just up ahead. Just a short while ago he would be plotting to capture the young monk. Now, he saw him as his friend.

He had friends now. He had family a sister who tried to protect him, and a father who loved him.

He glanced at his Uncle, a sad sort of smile on his face. There was so many thing he wanted to say… so many thank yous and apologies that needed to be made over a lifetime. He couldn't say any of it, except maybe for this.

"I'm sorry for what I put you through, starting the fight that day. It never should have happened."

"No one can take back what was done, but I am thankful it worked out in the end."

Up ahead, Toph suddenly bent down, sinking a clawed hand into the Earth. Zuko and Iroh increased their paces, catching up with her.

"Well what do you know," the earthbender mused, "there is a city way down deep under there. In fact," she rose, hands curved, and with one massive movement created a large hole in the soil. "This will lead to a natural fissure that should take us all the way down."

Zuko thought quickly. "Toph, do you think you can go warn the Earth King?"

"On it." Toph replied, looking more than ready to start a little trouble.

He nodded and turned to the others. "Aang, General Iroh; Azula put those two down there for a reason. It's probably a trap. We have to be ready for anything."

* * *

**OOOOOOOO**

* * *

"Zuko?" Katara's voice cut through his rapidly growing panic like a sharpened blade. "What's wrong?"

"You're in danger." Sokka bit out, trying to think of what he should say… what he _could_ say. But all he could think about was the image of Zuko… being him. Of course, he had known that the Prince had his body, but he didn't ever think that he could pull off… Spirits, but this was Zuko. He didn't quit. He didn't give up. And now, thanks to that stupid brawl, Katara, Aang and Toph had a snake-eel in their camp with his face.

"You think?"

Her sarcastic tone brought him up short. Turning around, he saw that she had one hand on her hip, and had gestured around their cell.

He wanted to laugh. He wanted to cry.

Sokka took a deep, shaky breath, and passed a hand over his scarred face. He didn't have a choice… he would have to tell her, and even if she thought he was crazy and buried him under ten tons of ice; she would be warned.

He opened his mouth, about to start off with something like, _"Hey… you want to know something crazy?"_ But then his eyes focused on her waterskin, and a glimmer of an idea formed in his mind.

"Where did you get that water from?"

She blinked in surprise, and then pointed to small crack in the wall. "Over there. It's just starting to seep through."

Sokka walked over and bent down, running his pale fingers along the crack in the wall, and seeing if he could push in. He felt Katara join him by his side. "This water is coming from somewhere." he said, excitedly rubbing the damp between his forefinger and thumb. "There might be some sort of underground river we could follow on the other side and get out of here. Could you use your waterbending to break this rock open?"

Katara didn't answer for a long moment. She was staring at him, an unsettled look on her face. "I know this is going to sound strange, but that's just the type of plan my brother would have."

He couldn't help it. He barked out a laugh that echoed through the crystal cell. He would have to tell her, but not now. Now, they needed to get out. "Well, a good idea is a good idea, right? So… can you?"

His sister considered it for a moment before giving a nod. "Yes, but I don't know how much water is behind that wall. It could easily be enough to flood this entire cave."

"I'm a good swimmer."

"With that?" Katara looked meaningfully at his left arm which was curled up against his chest. Then she make a tisking sound. "Here, I have healing abilities. Roll up that sleeve, and I'll take a look at it."

Sokka was far too used to taking her orders to argue. He rolled it up, exposing the mass of half healed bruises that ringed the spot where the break occurred. Katara bent some of the seeping water into a glowing blue glove. He saw her wince when the water encased his arm.

"Sit down. This will go faster…. Wow. This must have really hurt… How did it happen?"

It did hurt. Then as well as now, although Katara's ministrations was more of an unpleasant tingle than actual pain. "Some idiot," Sokka grunted, "hit me with a crowbar."

She looked up at him, one eyebrow raised in surprise. "Wow. You really need to learn how to make friends."

"You have no idea."

One of the tingles was sharper than the rest and he couldn't help a wince. He couldn't say anymore without giving away how much it hurt — but it was a good type of hurt. A healing type of hurt, and he could deal with it if it meant he would finally gain full use of the arm back.

Within a few minutes Katara took her hand away. The bruises were gone, the skin unbroken. Sokka flexed his arm, and for the first time, felt no pain at all. "Good as new! Thanks…" He trailed off, realizing that she was still staring at him, or rather, the left side of his face.

"Can I ask how that happened?"

"Agni Kai." Sokka had pieced enough information together, from his uncle and Azula and Mai comments, to get that much right. But he didn't care to elaborate, and he didn't like the look of mingled pity on his sister's face. So he did what came naturally to him. He made a joke out of it. "It's okay. Women like scars, right?"

She didn't answer, save for a soft smile. Their eyes locked, and Sokka caught a slightly doe-eyed look on his sister face that he never, ever, ever, ever, ever wanted to see directed at anyone — much less himself.

He leapt up suddenly, moving safely out of arms reach. "Well… uh… Yeah, so maybe we should try the rock wall now?" He said loudly, trying and failing to repress a full body shutter. That was wrong. That was wrong on so many different levels.

She was looking at him with another confused expression. Probably, she thought he was insane.

But finally, Katara nodded and stood up. She centered her feet, and warned, "Hold your breath," before she arced her arms in a wide loop.

She had no sooner completed one circular motion before a muffled explosion sounded — on the other side of the room.

Sokka and Katara whipped around, and were met by a thick cloud of dust. Katara, with her advantage of superior night-sight, was able to identify the figures first.

"Aang! Sokka!" She cried gleefully, running up to them.

And out of the dust, like a strange vision— or nightmare, his own self walked up before him. A cold, hard look set on his features.

* * *

**OOOOOOOO**

* * *

Zuko felt his heart stop at the sight of what could only be described as himself, standing there next to Katara.

Insanely, his first thought was that he was taller than he'd expected.

Katara turned and gave a cry of glad surprise. Sokka reached out as if to pull Katara back. But of course he couldn't, and a moment later Katara was running over, throwing his arms around him in a hug. And at same time Zuko's uncle… his uncle had come forward and was hugging Sokka.

Over the shoulders of their respective family members, boy boys glared at each other.

Katara pulled back at once and rushed over to greet Aang.

"Uncle," Sokka said, also pulling back and Zuko nearly startled at the familiar sound of his own voice. "What are you doing here with them?"

Zuko felt his expression harden. _He's not your uncle_.

"Rescuing you," sniped Aang.

The Avatar's voice snapped him out of his momentary shock. Zuko got an idea. Eyes still locked against Sokka's he let a tiny smirk flash over his face. "This jerk didn't try to hurt you, did he, sis?" And then he stepped closer to Katara. _How do you like that? ... Jerk._

He got the satisfaction of seeing Sokka's unburned eye widen for just a moment before it narrowed again. His fists clenched, and he was nearly vibrating in rage. Good.

"No," answered Katara, with a quizzical look. She was probably sensing the sudden, thick tension in the room. "I'm fine."

Aang started talking — saying… something. Neither boy was listening, too full of mutual betrayal, shock… fear.

Somehow, Sokka shook out of Uncle's grip and within three strides he had grabbed Zuko's upper arm in a vice-like grip. "If you lay one finger on them…" he snarled in such an undertone as so only Zuko could hear.

He glared into his own face, refusing to back down. "Why don't you worry about your own family, Zuko?" Zuko growled back, the slight crackle in his voice the only thing that betrayed his turmoil. That was _his_ body, _his_ uncle,_ his_ stupid job in the stupid teashop…

"Hey!" In a moment Katara had herself situated between the two of them, and was glaring up at Sokka. "Cut it out!"

But Aang was looking between Zuko and Sokka, a confused frown etching his features. "Is… there something going on between you two?" He asked, slowly.

At once, both boys heads snapped to the Avatar and yelled out, "NO!"

"Okay… okay," Aang threw up his hands in a gesture of peace, "I just asked."

"Zuko," once again Iroh had put his hand on Sokka's shoulder, trying to lead him away. "It's time we talked." He glanced over at Aang. "Go help your friend. We'll catch up with you."

It took everything in his willpower for Zuko to finally break his glare. He looked away, hating to see another boy take his place. But Aang and Katara were heading out, and calling for him. He looked up one last time to see his Uncle talking in a low tone to Sokka — trying to guide his nephew.

With a feeling like a bit of his soul was being wrenched away from his body, Zuko forced himself to turn away and follow his friend and sister.

* * *

**OOOOOOOO**

* * *

Sokka watched Zuko follow Aang and Katara with a sense of horror. He felt like he was on a lake shore, watching someone drown, and was unable to help him. He wanted to yell out: That's not your friend! That's Zuko! I'm Sokka! I'M SOKKA!

His jaw clenched so hard he thought he might break a tooth. Someway, somehow he held it together until they were all out of sight. Only then could he turn and listen to what his uncle was saying.

"You are not the man you used to be, Zuko. You are stronger and wiser and freer than you have ever been. And now you have come to the crossroads of your destiny. It's time for you to choose. It's time for you to choose good!"

"What?" asked Sokka, staring at him, dully. He didn't understand. Unless… "You mean… you want us to join with the Avatar?"

Iroh gave a tight nod, clearly steeling himself for an argument. "Only he can bring balance to—"

"Yes."

In any other situation it would have been almost funny to see the look of shock that came over the aged man's face. He nearly sputtered. "What?"

Sokka took a deep breath, and felt some of the anger clear out of him. "I said yes. That's… you're right. We need to join with the Avatar and learn the ways of good. I'm all for it. Let's go!" Ignoring the look of astonishment on his uncle's face, he grabbed his arm, fully intending to drag the man along if he had too. There was no way he was going to let Zuko wreak havoc with his body and his friends. How had he even fooled them long enough to get in? Well, it didn't matter. Sokka wasn't going to let this continue.

But he and Iroh had gotten no more than three steps then the ground started shaking violently. All at once sharp spears of crystals shot out of the ground in every direction all around Iroh, separating him from Sokka.

Sokka cried out, but within seconds his uncle was encased and trapped in a jagged cage of green crystals.

A voice cut out across the dim room. "Have you met the Dai Li? They're earthbenders, but they have a killer instinct that is soo firebender." Azula walked into view, flanked by no less than seven Dai Li agents. Hands on her hips, she smirked at the sight of Iroh, trapped. "I just love it."

"Oh, I am so sick of seeing you show up like this!" Sokka snarled, cocking his fist and putting himself between Uncle and Azula.

The Fire Princess seemed less than impressed. "I expected this sort of treachery from Uncle, but Zuko, Prince Zuko… you're a lot of things," she had the gall to examine her nails, not even remotely threatened by Sokka's display, before adding coyly. "But you're not a traitor, are you?"

"Let him go!"

She was still examining the fine points of her nails. "It's not too late for you, Zuko. You can still redeem yourself."

"The kind of redemption she offers is not for you." Ground out Iroh, from behind him.

"Why don't you let him decide, Uncle?" Finally, Azula took her attention away from her nails and looked squarely at Sokka. He could see himself, scarred and glaring, reflected back in her amber eyes. "I need you, Zuko." And suddenly the arrogance was gone. She looked almost… humble. "I've plotted every move of this day. This glorious day in Fire Nation history, and the only way we win is together. At the end of this day, you will have your honor back. You will have your father's love. You will have everything you truly want."

Sokka stared at her, and at the Dai Li flanked behind her, before looking down.

The moments passed like agonizing hours.

Finally, he lifted his light amber eyes again to meet her humbled gaze. "You crazy, psychotic bitch." he said, calmly, "I will never join you."

Something flashed over Azula's fine features; something ugly and cruel — a blink of the monster within, before it was done again. "So be it." She snapped her fingers. Instantly the ground shook again and the green crystals surrounding Iroh grew outward, and inward. The old General gave a strangled sort of a cry and to Sokka's horror one of the crystals erupted from his shoulder.

"NO!" The crystals stopped at once, but the impaling shard was still there. Iroh twisted and gasped, and Sokka ran over and tried in vain to pull it free… but he was no earthbender.

From behind him, Azula chuckled. "A traitor's death is supposed to be a long and painful one, Zuzu. You know that. My Dai Li agents can make his last all night. And trust me. They'd only be warming up for you."

Sokka whipped around, desperate. "Let him go, Azula! For Spirits sake, he is your Uncle too!"

She shrugged, as if it were out of her hands. "His fate is sealed. I can't free him… but perhaps a well timed letter to Father would convince him to take the death sentence off his head."

"No…" gasped Iroh. "Don't do it… Zuko… I'm begging you…"

Azula looked on, without pity. "You are free to choose." Then she pivoted on her heel, walking back down the tunnel. Four of the Dai Li agents followed her.

Sokka bowed his head.

* * *

**OOOOOOOO**

* * *

You'll never be able to bet on what happens next. Hehe.

Anyway, I hope you guys liked it! Again, it was hard to get everything down on paper. I don't know why, but when I pair up angsty!Sokka with Katara, Sokka becomes the straight-man. She does have her own brand of humor, so I hope it worked.

**Thanks for reading!**


	11. Destiny’s Crossroad

**Author notes**: This one is the shortest chapters I've done, but it was the hardest to write. (Someone should have told me ahead of time that a multi-perspective fight between six different parties would be difficult. It took me forever to block everyone's movements out in my mind.) I'm actually kinda biting my nails here, and I hope I pulled this off. Please let me know what you think!

Oh yes, after this I think there will be three… maybe four more chapters until I'll come to the end. It's been a fun ride so far, and I hope I can do the ending some justice.

* * *

**OOOOOOOO**

* * *

Zuko followed Aang and Katara back through the darkened tunnels. He wasn't paying attention to where they were going, simply trusting the Avatar's earthbending sense to lead the way. His own mind was ablaze with other things; His uncle's words, telling him that his "nephew" had become a wiser man… Sokka's stolen face glaring at him with narrowed eyes…

"Where's Toph?" Katara panted, as they came out of the tunnel and into a large green-lit cavern. All three slowed to a stop to take in the sight: The high crystal encrusted ceiling, the columns of green crystal, and the rushing waterfall in the corner. There didn't seem to be an immediate way out. Then again, Zuko hardly saw any of it at all.

He still saw _his _face. A face he was starting to not recognize as his own anymore…

A plume of blue fire shot out from the darkened tunnel behind them, aimed right where they stood. Zuko threw himself to the side, and out of the corner of his eye saw Aang and Katara roll away to safety. Another jet shot out from the darkness, closer, this time squarely targeted on Aang.

The young Avatar raised two clawed hands and a shield of earth erupted in front of him, dissipating the fire.

And although Zuko expected it from the second he caught sight of the distinctive blue flames, his heart still felt like it was going to stop when Azula stepped into view, fingers still smoking slightly from the blast.

She didn't say anything, which, if Zuko had a moment to think, he would have found that strange. Azula always had time to gloat when she thought things were in her favor. Instead, though, her amber eyes focused upon Katara and Aang… her prey.

She didn't give him a second look. Then again, she probably knew that he couldn't bend.

With a wide sweep of her arms, Katara bent the water from the nearby underground stream, sending it in a crashing wave towards Azula. But Zuko's sister was far too quick for that, and had leapt to the side, counter-striking with two fire balls.

Katara dodged the first one, and used her water whip to slap away the second one.

Zuko was running towards Azula, quite without realizing what he was doing, broadsword clenched in his hand. His thoughts were quick and to the point. He had to stop her. He was the best one for the job.

She had her back to him, and was sending another fire attack at Aang, but at the last possible moment, she turned. A jet of flame blue death erupted from her outstretched fingers. Zuko blanched. He tried to duck, but he had been running at a full momentum. He fell, sliding under the flame and along the rock floor, colliding Azula's shins. The two of them went tumbling over and over.

"Stupid peasant!" Azula shrieked. With a sweep of her feet, she was able to get upright. Zuko could only lay there, stunned, a sword his only defense against billowing flame.

"Sokka!" Aang yelled, and instantly another rock shield rose up, just in time to take the force of Azula's blast. It saved him from getting burned, but resulting concussion knocked him to the side, hard against the far wall.

Zuko groaned. The cavern seemed to dim in and out as he fought against unconsciousness. Somehow, he managed to stay together. Blinking, slowly shaking his head from side-to-side to clear it, he got to his feet. As he stood, bits of rock and dust rained down from his shoulders.

Azula, Aang and Katara had been in a vicious three way bender-fight while he was pulling himself together. But now, just for a second, there was a lull in the action. To Zuko's surprise, Azula's chest was heaving with exertion… she had both hands out; pointed at Aang and Katara.

Each waited for the other to move first.

Suddenly, a blast of red fire landed between Azula and Aang. Both shielded themselves from it, and at once all eyes in the cavern settled on the new opponent.

Sokka.

The green crystals lit an eerie shade over the four of them, and cast strange shadows on Sokka's borrowed face. Despite the ache of his head from the blow, and the ringing of his ears, Zuko focused his attention upon Sokka… a face that he knew better than any other. He saw every detail; the pallid, sweaty sheen to his skin, the tear stained cheek, the way his eyes darted from Azula to Aang and back again.

Absolute realization, as forceful as an electric shock, tore through Zuko's body. He gasped, rushing forward, but he moved too slowly… as if in a nightmare. He yelled out a warning. It was drowned out by the red flame explosion of Sokka's decisive fire blast…

… aimed straight at Aang.

The Avatar reacted just in time, spiraling wind around himself to dissipate the flames.

Azula's smile was nothing short of triumphant as she turned and once again engaged Katara.

Sokka didn't give his former friend time to strike back. He punched and punched again, sending simple yet powerful balls of fire. The Avatar ran about in a quick circle around him, barely evading the flames. At once he stopped, and a powerful gust of wind followed his momentum, knocking Sokka off his feet.

The firebender rolled and aimed another blast for Aang's legs. "Come on, Avatar!" He yelled, as Aang once again jumped out of his way. Sokka got up and followed him step for step, chopping down and unleashing a wall of fire in his direction. "Stop evading me!" There was something manic and desperate in his words. Aang leapt away again, but Sokka had guessed at his angle with the skill of an expert marksman. The Avatar had to bend a near mini-cyclone to dissipate his fire.

"What's wrong with you?!" Sokka shot yet another fire ball, red and passionate. His head turned, streaks of tears catching in the light. "FIGHT ME!"

"That's enough."

Sokka's body froze as he felt the cold bite of steel up against his throat. While he had been shooting flame, he hadn't protected his back, giving Zuko time to sneak up from behind. Over Sokka's shoulder, Zuko saw Aang stop and smile at his friend… and beyond them Azula and Katara were still fighting. Zuko made a quick decision. "Aang, go help Katara!"

The young Avatar's eyes widened. He glanced behind him, then back at Zuko. But Katara needed help, and with one last long look he nodded. And with a gust of air, went to go lend his aid.

The second Aang turned, Zuko grabbed Sokka's arm, pulling him back, and with a twist he lowered his blade and flung the other boy into a shadowed corner. "What do you think you're doing?!" He screamed, and he knew that if he was in his own body, smoke would probably be coiling between his fingers.

It was a strange sight looking at himself like this. Sokka's brow was sweaty with more than just the fight. His eyes were so wide Zuko could clearly see the white rims around them. He looked like a man about to break. "Azula's got Uncle. She's going to kill him unless I help her!"

A cold wave of fear, followed by red hot anger flowed through Zuko's body. He wanted to shoot flame, but couldn't. He wanted to strike Sokka… but he couldn't do that, either. Instead he cried out, whirling around to hit the wall. "How could you let this happen?! It's your job to protect him!"

"I know!"

The simple declaration cut Zuko's anger short. He looked up again at Sokka. At the self hatred, and loathing in his own face. At his desperation… at his determination.

"I know," Sokka repeated, quieter this time. "But listen to me…. I have a plan."

"What? To attack Aang?"

"Yes. To drive him into a rage… to get him to the Avatar State."

* * *

**OOOOOOOO**

* * *

Sokka stared at the other boy, waited with bated breath. He saw a myriad of emotions flash over Zuko's tanned, wholly expressive face; surprise, consideration, more shock, and then finally, doubt.

He didn't know if he should expect an ally in this, or even what exactly had made the former prince fight on Katara and Aang's side in the first place. Maybe it was anger at himself, Sokka. Maybe he had his own ulterior reasons… maybe he had seen a different side of the people he had been hunting. He didn't know. It didn't matter. Not right now.

_Traitor…_ his own true voice whispered, in the back of his mind. _You attacked your friend and your sister. What would dad think of you now?_

Sokka swallowed and shoved it back. He had to have faith in his plan — even more than any plan before, because nothing had been with these high of stakes. One wrong move would mean the end of Uncle, Katara, and Aang. He'd seen the Avatar's power, and knew that Zuko had as well. He just had to get the other boy to see past his anger and listen.

But before he could speak another shout rung out. From the shadows, like rat-vultures swarming from their homes at the scent of a meal, came more Dai Li agents than Sokka could easily count. They surrounded the fighting Fire Princess, aiding her with a fury of flying rock and stone. Suddenly, Katara and Aang had a new problem on their hands.

Sokka turned, grabbing Zuko's shoulder. "They don't have much time. Look, this will work."

"No it won't!" With rough jerk, he pulled free of his grasp. "Aang's already mastered the Avatar State. He can't just be driven into it anymore."

"Then why isn't he using it?"

"Why are you asking me?!" Zuko threw up his hands. "I've only known the kid, for what, two weeks?"

Sokka risked another glance to the cavern. Aang was fighting Azula in fierce combat of flying rocks and blue flame. Katara, meanwhile, had peeled off and was using an eight tentacle water octopus to hold the Dai Li at bay… but she was being driven back. They both were.

Sokka's heart was in his throat… he wanted to go help them with a desperate, aching need. "Maybe he just needs to be reminded. Maybe he's holding himself back." He murmured, mostly to himself. Then, with a shake of his head he focused his attention once more on Zuko. "I promise this will work, Zuko. Just please… trust me."

The other boy made a sound of disgust deep in his throat. "Trust you? Why?"

"Because…." There was only one thing he could say. "Because you know me."

Zuko shut his eyes, but then to Sokka's surprise, he gave a curt nod. "Fine. I'll tell him to get into the Avatar State. Then we save _my_ uncle."

He put a particular emphasis on_ my_, but Sokka didn't want to fight the point. It felt as if a large weight had come off of his chest. Yes, his reasons were unclear, but Sokka had a feeling that as long as Iroh's safely was in the balance, he could trust him. "Alright!" He smiled at his own reflection, and got a small, tentative smile in return.

This was so weird.

Zuko turned towards the Dai Li. But before he could take a step, he visibly hesitated, and turned back around. "Uh, about that… how exactly do I get past those Dai Li?" He didn't necessarily blush, but Sokka could see a distinct darkening of his neck and cheeks. "You know, without bending?"

For the first time, Sokka grinned. "Watch and learn," he said, loftily, and plucked his beloved boomerang from Zuko's belt. Sizing up the angle, he let it fly.

With a whirl of wind the boomerang flew out in a curved, but true course, hitting the head of a nearby Dai Li agent. The man went down with a thud of earth, giving Zuko an opening to rush in. He did, unsheathing his broadsword and Sokka thought he caught a sort of grim admiration on his face.

But there was no time to wonder at that. He had a sister to save.

Sokka rushed forward as well, pushing through the containing circle of Dai Li agents, forcing himself to the front of them, and blasting flame when they wouldn't move. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Zuko doing the same — the blade of his sword moving in graceful, efficient arcs; slapping rock out of the air, thrusting and cutting.

With one more leap, Sokka landed in no man's land between Katara's water tentacles and craters from Dai Li agents. "Back off! She's mine." he growled, knowing that he had to make this authentic. If they suspected any treachery, Uncle would be finished. He glanced up, eyes meeting against Katara's narrowed ones. He felt a stab, straight to his heart… seeing his sister looking at him like that; if he hadn't just unloaded his burden on Zuko, he might have gone insane.

He struck first, sending two fire lances to her right and left. These, she knocked away with two fierce sweeps of water, and he had to do a near back flip to avoid having knees taken out by a shower of ice-daggers.

Sokka heard his own voice, being screamed by Zuko, echoing off the cavern walls. "AANG! WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?! USE THE AVATAR STATE!"

Aang's reply, whatever it was, was cut off from Sokka as a wall of water literally came rushing down on him. He didn't think. Bringing his clenched fists to his chest, he coiled his power and then erupted it outward – meeting the wave head on. Water and fire met; two waves of equal strength. They canceled each other out with a high billow of steam.

For a moment, Sokka couldn't see anything. Only his instinct to duck kept him from getting his head knocked off by a cracking water whip.

"I thought you changed!" Katara yelled, her voice muffled by the mist.

The steam dissipated slightly, and, glancing towards the sound of her voice could just make out her outline. He rolled, sending a flurry of rocketing fire balls at her — never aimed directly, but rather just to the side. It had nearly killed him to fire at Aang… He couldn't bear to hurt her.

But, for the moment, this was the only way he saw he could keep her safe. He could use restraint while fighting her — the Dai Li wouldn't.

"I have changed." he answered, grimly.

Suddenly, a thick hush fell over the cave. Both Sokka and Katara glanced over just in time to see Aang bend a cocoon of green crystals around himself. Sokka blinked, and, standing up fully, searched out the crowd for a pair of familiar blue eyes. Aang had never had to do this to get into the Avatar State before. Normally he just glowed it up. What was going on?

Zuko looked just as confused as everyone else. He met Sokka's gaze and gave a half shrug.

No one was fighting. The Avatar — the literal beacon for hope or hate, depending on which side you were on — had put himself into sudden seclusion in the middle of a battle. It was as if all of the air and fight had gone out of the combatants. Everyone watched the small dome of crystals, aware that something important was about to happen, but unsure what it meant.

Then, suddenly, the crystal cocoon lit with a pure white light. A startled gasp went around the cave. Everyone: friend and foe drew back. Sokka glanced over to see Katara literally elbow to elbow with Dai Li agents she'd been fighting only a few minutes ago. No one was thinking of that now. They were witnessing something important — something spiritual and not of this earth.

A bright spear of light shot out of the top of the cocoon, and outward in a bright circle. The concussion force shoved everyone another few steps back.

Aang — no, the Avatar — rose out of the cocoon, tattoos and eyes glowing with unworldly light. Sokka had seen it before, but even he had to admit it always was equal parts impressive and scary. Especially now, considering he was probably about to become the target of some serious Avatar anger.

It was okay. He could take it: Just as long as his friends, sister, and uncle were safe.

The Avatar rose higher into the sky. All eyes were upon him — most too frozen in terror to move…

All except for one.

A flash of electricity cut through the air too quickly to even track. The Avatar's back arched, and Sokka saw for one horrible second every bone, every vein outlined brightly though his flesh.

The lightening passed through him, exiting down and out his foot, taking the Avatar light with it. Aang closed his eyes and fell… fell…

And behind him, Azula stood, fingers still smoking from the blast. A smile of pure malice and triumph on her face.

Katara raised her arms, and with a giant whoosh all of the water nearby rose at her command. Sokka was running towards Aang without realizing what he was doing. He was going to hit the ground head first! Someone had to catch him! But he was no match for the force of Katara's element, and was swept up and tossed aside like a fallen leaf caught in a rushing river.

When he looked up next she had caught him in his arms. Aang was so still and limp… he didn't look alive.

Getting to his feet, forgetting himself for a second, Sokka started to run over, and was stopped by the image of himself stepping in front of them, broadsword out and ready. The look on Zuko's face — his own face — was fierce with hatred.

_Traitor._ The unspoken word passed between them, making Sokka take a step back, shaking his head.

Azula stepped to Sokka's side, fingers still smoking from her blast of lightening. She turned slightly, and sent a vague smirk in his direction, apparently thinking Sokka was about to confront them again.

For the second time, a burst of flame from an unknown combatant cut into the air and suddenly Iroh landed in between all of them. Blood was freely pouring from his shoulder, but he gave no indication that it was slowing him down. "Go!" he yelled, over his shoulder. "I'll hold them off!"

"NO!" Zuko shouted, and his next words were swept up in the force of Katara's next move. With a streaming of her hands, she brought her water around her like a curling spring, lifting herself, Aang's limp body, and the struggling Zuko along with her. Sokka thought he heard Zuko call out, "Uncle!" but the word was lost in the sloshing water and the echoing cave.

For his part, the Sokka couldn't move — paralyzed by horror of what he had witnessed, what he had done… how massively he had just failed.

… Aang…

Azula shot a blue flame at Uncle, and he batted it out of the air along with several hastily bended rocks from the Dai Li agents. But as soon as Katara and the others were out of sight, he lowered his arms, surrendering. Instantly, he was encased in stone. Sokka made a half hearted step towards him, but Iroh turned his head away.

* * *

**OOOOOOOO**

* * *

"NO! NO! NO!" Zuko struggled to break free of the grip of the water, but it was wrapped around his waist and as much as he beat his fists against it, it wouldn't wield to him. All he could see around him was red, all he could feel was betrayal.

How could he have been so stupid?! Sokka had him lead Aang right into Azula's trap. She had struck at the perfect time, right when Aang had been the most distracted; the most powerful, but apparently the most venerable. They had probably planned it all out ahead of time. And Zuko, like the idiot that he was, had fallen again for someone's lies.

He was going to find Sokka, and kill him.

…Again.

With one final burble, Katara's living lift of water shot them through a man-hole and deposited them back upon the streets of Ba Sing Se. Instantly, Zuko leapt to his feet, nearly trembling with rage. "Get me back! I—"

"Sokka."

He had never heard Katara sounding so broken and defeated before. It snapped Zuko out of his mini-rage, and he saw as if for the first time how Katara held Aang. She had him cradled in her arms, and he was so limp, and pale, and broken… and he realized that he wasn't alive.

But no… he was the Avatar. He couldn't be… no…

Before he could even begin to process that thought, there was a familiar groan from high up above. Both he and Katara looked up to see Appa's giant silhouette bearing down at them from the night sky. For one strange moment, Zuko thought that Toph was flying him — for all that Appa drifted this way and that as if being handled by an incompetent rider. Once the bison landed, he could see Toph gripping the animal's back for all her life depended on it. Maybe it did: King Kuei had been at Appa's head, and he had been the one to so badly guide the bison in.

"Ground!" Toph groaned, sliding off. The moment her feet touched soil, though, her head snapped up and her blank eyes widened. "Where's Twinkle-toes? What's going on?" She couldn't feel Aang's heartbeat and breathing because it was no longer there.

Katara sunk her head and started to cry softly over the broken Avatar.

There was a beat of silence, and Zuko realized that they were all staring at each other, unsure what to do next. They were all broken, fragmented. Someone had to take charge.

He swallowed. "Alright, everyone back on Appa." The Dai Li were probably going to be up out of that manhole in a few moments, and he couldn't allow himself to think about Sokka or Aang or Uncle. They had to get out of here.

Within a few moments everyone had climbed the bison's wide tail. Zuko ran to Appa's head, and relieved the former Earth King of his duty with a not so polite push. Then, taking the reins, and feeling the weight of responsibly like a ten-ton bison on his shoulders, he called out. "Yip-yip!"

Appa surged upwards into the night air, and to freedom. But there was no happiness in it, because Sokka had betrayed them all, and Aang was dead.

Zuko heard a muffled gasp behind him, and turned around to see Katara clutch desperately at her breast. Her fingers grabbed up for her neck and she pulled out a strange glowing glass. Laying Aang face down across her legs, she unclipped the glass and instantly sparking water shot out to her command. With a look like she dared not to hope, she formed it into a cooling ball and pressed it right to a hideous burn in the middle of his back.

His skin absorbed the water like a thirsty plant, and Katara turned the little Avatar over, searching his face for any hint of life.

There was nothing, and she bent her head to weep.

Then the wide arrow flashed white — just for a moment, before fading away. Aang winced and groaned.

He was alive.

* * *

**OOOOOOOO**

* * *

"We've done it, Zuko."

Sokka looked warily over to see Azula lounging in the Earth King's opulent chair; a chair that seemed to big and sturdy to fit her lithe frame.

He was too numb with grief and shock to feel sick. It was all he could do at the cave to pretend indifference to Uncle when the old man was once again taken into custody. As if he had really joined Azula.

For her part, his "sister" seemed pleased with his actions, and pretended in front of the Dai Li and her two friends that she had not had to use extra pressure to convince him to join her. She was planning something, he knew. And he knew in order to survive, he would have to be one step ahead of her…

… but all he could see was Aang, still as death, in Katara's arms. It shattered his confidence, just as the Azula's lightening had shattered his friend's life. He felt paralyzed with grief and his own failure.

"It's taken a hundred years," continued Azula, "but the Fire Nation has conquered Ba Sing Se." she paused and looked up at him. "I know you were hesitant, but now you see Uncle's true colors, don't you?"

His throat felt dry. He heard himself answer, "Yes."

She smiled, pleased. "When you return home, father will welcome you as a war hero."

Sokka almost, almost laughed. Somehow, in all of the madness since switching with Zuko, he had forgotten that he was Fire Lord Ozai's son. He turned away, hiding the brief flash of panic at that thought. But the fear got his mind moving again.

Aang was… Aang was dead. Oh Spirits… he had helped kill his friend.

He felt a full tremor take over his body, and it took every scrap of will power to push it back. He couldn't think of it. Not now. Later he was cry and scream out his grief. Now, he had to survive. There were things here he didn't understand. How could he return, without the Avatar? "But… I don't have the Avatar. How could he welcome me back?"

"Zuko," Azula laid a hand on his shoulder, and it was everything Sokka could do not to shudder… or throw up in revolution. "You helped kill the Avatar. Today, you restored your honor." Then she turned away, suddenly flippant. "Besides, it's not like he won't be reborn again. We'll just set fire to the Water Tribes. Problem solved."

Sokka stared straight ahead, jaw set.

* * *

**OOOOOOOO**

* * *

Do you hear that snapping sound? Yeah, that was Sokka's sanity.

Lol. But seriously… poor guy.

Let me know what you think, and thanks for reading!


	12. Darkest Before Dawn

Notes: Sorry this took so long, guys! I know where I want this fic to go, but it took me awhile to figure out how to get everyone set up to go between point A and point B. Plus, angsty-Sokka is nearly impossible to write well. I'm still not happy with him, but this has been delayed enough.

* * *

**OOOOOOOO**

* * *

General Iroh knelt on the hard edge of his narrow pallet, and let out a long breath, wishing that he had a cup of tea to soothe his nerves. He was Azula's captive, but even that afforded no real luxury inside the steel plated cell except for a single window. His old tired eyes looked out to the night's sky, and to the half-moon sitting among a dusting of stars.

His thoughts were troubled.

Iroh's cares weren't for himself — although even he had to admit this was a difficult situation, and his left shoulder still hurt very badly, even if it had stopped bleeding some time ago. But he could ignore pain and even the threat of his own execution. He had been down those roads before. No, General Iroh's troubled thoughts weren't for himself at all. They were for his nephew.

Or rather, the boy that had been his nephew.

Iroh did not want to think of it. His very mind shied away from the whole idea, because he was afraid — he knew what would happen if those thoughts fully formed themselves in his head, and if he accepted realization as truth.

There had been no doubt that Zuko had been acting… strangely since his return from the Spirit World. Iroh put him though his tests; he was sure the boy had been aware of some of them, but not all. And he had been satisfied in the end that whatever had happened had helped Zuko see life from another angle, become wiser and stronger. In short, he had become the prince he was always meant to be… even if it was in the squalor of the lower rings of Ba Sing Se.

All of his hopes had been dashed cruelly against rocks tonight, for Iroh had seen the truth in his eyes down in the crystal cave. Yes, Zuko had made the honorable decision — even if it had led ultimately to tragedy. Iroh certainty couldn't fault him for it, especially as it had saved his own life.

But he knew Zuko. He had been the first to hold him as newborn baby. Ozai had been in the outer room, and had not wished to be physically present for the messy business of child birthing. Iroh had been the one to present his child to him, while the doctors had worked to save Ursa's life. It was he who had first looked into Zuko's new eyes. It was he who had spent the last three years at his side. He knew Zuko's faults as well as any father.

Zuko would have been tempted, at the very least, by Azula's offer of redemption. That boy… had not.

And now the boy had come to kneel on the other side of his cell door. Iroh heard him, in Zuko's voice, trying to explain himself… tryin to apologize for actions that he thought had been wrong. It shattered the General's heart, but he forced himself to turn away — he couldn't look at him. If he did, he would see nothing but strange false mask with his beloved nephew's face. He would know the _truth_. And he was afraid, deeply, unashamedly, afraid of the Spirit's retribution for that knowledge. If they wished their actions to be known, they would have told him. Above all, Iroh knew that the Spirits valued their privacy. To tamper with that would be a grave mistake.

Eventually the boy left, and Iroh was plunged into darkness and silence again. The old firebender uncurled his fists under his robe, not realizing he had clenched them at all.

He looked up from the small bars of his cell, and to the moon, and thought of the young woman who had given her life so many months ago in the North Pole.

_Please Princess_, he thought to the moon, _Wherever my nephew is, tonight… protect him._

* * *

**OOOOOOOO**

* * *

Zuko intended to fly Appa through the night. The more distance they put between themselves and the besieged city of Ba Sing Se, the safer everyone was. And the less likely he was to turn back and try to break Uncle out of Azula's clutches.

But the night air was chill, and Katara insisted it wasn't good for Aang's wounds. The little Avatar had woken up only briefly in her arms before passing into unconsciousness again and now lay with his head pillowed in Katara's lap. He wouldn't wake up, but at least he was breathing.

Zuko tugged the reins, pulling Appa into the south. There was only one place he knew of that would be safe: Chameleon Bay.

It was a hard ride, even in the best of conditions. Aang had Appa traveling at near breakneck speeds from the bay back to the city for Katara's rescue. Now the bison was tired. They were tired. And the wind was steadily blowing against them. At this pace, they would be lucky to reach the bay by morning, and they would be in no condition to fight off any possible attack by the Dai Li.

Finally Zuko had to admit defeat. He directed Appa downward, past a crumbling skeleton of an old farm house and to the bank of a marshy-smelling pond.

Once the bison landed, Toph built for them a large earthen tent, and Katara bended out the water out of the damp earth so they would have a dry place to sleep. Somehow, (probably out of sheer desperation) Zuko was able to get the spark-rocks to work and started for them a fire. King Keui found a soft spot for himself, and feel asleep with Bosco, off to the side as the outsiders that they were. Katara took a place by the fire with Aang, washing his sweaty forehead and looking at him with eyes full of grief and despair.

"I didn't think this would happen," Katara murmured as Zuko sat beside her. She turned large, tear-filled eyes upon him. "He betrayed us."

There was no doubt in his mind about whom she was speaking. Anger raced through Zuko's heart, for in truth the betrayal was far, far worse than she could ever imagine. "I know," he said, wanting to reach out to her, but he was simply too shaken. "Just… try to get some sleep. I'll take the first watch."

She smiled at him; at her kind-hearted, big brother. "Don't stay up all night. Wake me up for the second watch."

He nodded, although he had no intention of doing it, and got up, sitting at the triangle opening of the tent, broadsword across his lap. There would be nothing he could do if a troop of Azula's Dai Li somehow found them. Nothing, except maybe raise an alarm. He would do what he could, though, because there was no one else to do it.

Eventually he was the only one still awake, judging by the snores from inside.

The hours passed and after awhile he grew thirsty. The marshy pond was fed by some fresh water inlets, one not being too far from where they were camping. Zuko walked over, took a drink, and then, after a glance to make sure he was still alone, went to pond's edge.

His Uncle was gone… really gone this time, now.

The water was calm and almost as smooth as a mirror, broken only by tiny bugs occasionally dipping down to the surface, casting tiny concussive circles in their wake. The air was thick with sound; creaking bugs, water reeds gently rustling against one another in the night air, and the occasional low call from a night bird. The moon was half full and cast a pale light on everything, turning Zuko's tan skin pale.

He knelt at the bank and looked down into the water, at the reflection staring up at him.

"Are you happy now, Sokka?" Zuko said, to the boy in the water. "You nearly killed him, and you… you have it all, don't you?" A snarl came over Sokka's reflected face, and Zuko scooped up some rocks, dashing it into the reflection. "You stupid water peasant!"

The rocks hit the water with an unsatisfying crack. The image resolved itself at once — Sokka's reflection now glaring up at him. The hate and anger in his heart swelled and Zuko stood up, kicking at the reflection. "What did she promise you?! My honor? My throne?! You stupid—" He broke off with a cry, turning away from the water, sinking down to his knees in the damp sand.

It was gone… all of it gone. He was sobbing now, brokenly, alone in the moonlight. He had given up his uncle, his birthright in exchange for a sister and friends, and it hurt… it hurt so much. Like an infection that had been lanced; burning, but also a healing type of pain at the same time. "You want it? Take it," he whispered, hiccupping, folding into himself. "Just take it."

* * *

**OOOOOOOO**

* * *

Iroh wouldn't talk to him.

Sokka walked along the long, lavish halls of the palace, feeling numb…. beaten. He had tried to explain himself, but really in the end it hadn't mattered. No explanation in the world could account for Aang's loss. Of course, a part of him felt angry at the rejection, buthe understood. Sokka had saved Iroh's life, but in doing so he had betrayed his wishes… and betrayed the world.

He had helped kill the Avatar.

"This way, sir." An agent swept his arm to the side, motioning to a large green door. They opened it for him, revealing a emerald green room with an oversized bed. Sokka nodded dully, and stepped inside. The agent closed the door for him, and Sokka had no doubt that they were going to wait right outside all night — gilded prison guards, under Azula's command.

Sokka glanced around the room; there wasn't an immediate exit except by maybe the sheer drop-off outside the balcony. He should be thinking of a way to get himself and Uncle out of this mess. He should be planning… thinking…

But his heart beat numbly in his chest. He sat on the edge of the wide bed, hands clasped in his lap. The knowledge that he had helped kill Aang beat in on him at all angles. His friend was dead… because of his mistake. He'd miscalculated. By leading Zuko to tell him to get into the Avatar state, he'd accidentally given Azula the very chance she needed — Aang's one moment of distraction… and now…

A hundred memories from over the months had had known the young monk flashed in his mind. Sure, Sokka hadn't liked the kid at first. He had come out of nowhere and removed him from his safety zone, and it didn't help that he was constantly making gooey faces at his little sister. But Aang had grown on him, and eventually Sokka had accepted him, and even welcomed him as part of the Tribe.

Sokka blinked; his right eye was running with tears, the left strangely dry and feeling scratchy. He rubbed absently at it anyway as he stood up, pacing around the room.

It didn't help. Nothing helped. His thoughts tumbled over again and again in his head for the rest of the night; a cloud of grief that numbed his mind.

_Idiot. _

_Traitor. _

_Murderer._

* * *

**OOOOOOOO**

* * *

A soft hand touched Zuko's shoulder, pulling him up from a deep — if uneasy sleep. He winced and curled himself tighter, trying to fall back asleep. He was sore all over; exhausted even on the brink of unconsciousness. Sometimes Uncle's firebending practices felt like it took things out of his inner core, although he was always the better for it… he was tired. So tired…

The hand touched his shoulder again, and Zuko brushed it away. "Not now, Uncle, " he groaned, "Too early for firebending…"

"What?"

The voice was light, feminine and definitely not Uncle. Zuko opened his blue eyes with a sickening lurch, feeling jerked horribly back into the present. Katara knelt by his side, a frown pulled across her lovely features.

"Ugh… weird dream." He offered lamely, sitting up and looking around. He had slept into mid-morning, and the air was already thick with humidity and the low buzz of flea-mosquitoes. His neck already felt itchy from last night. Even if they weren't being chased by the Dai Li, they couldn't stay here again.

Katara just rewarded him with a long, penetrating look. "I bet. My brother, the firebender." she said, flashing something that could have almost been a smile. "Aang slept through the night… he hasn't woken yet."

Zuko vividly remembered the first few days after his Agni Kai, and the pain that had been so intense it would have driven him mad except for the liberal dose of herbs his uncle had prescribed him. Last night, he had caught a glimpse of the burn on Aang's back. It wasn't in such a sensitive place as, say, his face, but something inside him wilted at the thought of seeing the little Avatar go through that kind of agony. "Let him sleep, then. He will wake up when he's ready."

Still rubbing his eyes, he looked for the other members of the group. Kuei and the bear were sitting next to the fire, being useless. Toph was nowhere to be seen, although Zuko trusted her to stick within vibration-hearing distance. Last night, he had stayed up until the brink of dawn, and then had woken up Toph finish sentry duty before he crept back to the tent and collapsed, back against the fire.

He got up now and dusted himself off. Part of him, maybe something still left of the old him — the Prince, wanted to just go off somewhere and brood over his losses. But now, looking around, he saw that there were things to do. Kuei and Toph weren't leaders — well, maybe Toph would have the flair for it when she grew up a little. But to Zuko's critical eye, the Earth King was pathetically useless. And Katara would have her hands full with Aang.

He didn't have time to sulk. Someone had to get them out of here and keep them safe.

"Let's load up Appa," he said, reaching down to reholster both the broadsword and the bladed boomerang. "The more distance we put between us and Ba Sing Se, the better."

"Sokka, Aang's in no condition to travel."

"I know, but it'll be worse if Azula catches up to us."

_Trust me on that_. He thought, grimly.

After last night, he knew that nothing would ever be the same again. There had been too much betrayal, too much shock; anger, and hurt. But when he retook up Appa's reins and urged the bison into the sky, leaving the ground far, far below him again with Katara and Toph by his side with Aang sleeping more or less peacefully between them… he felt lighter.

Better.

By afternoon he even cracked a smile at one of Katara's bumbling attempts at a joke. She, too, was trying to lighten everyone's spirits. So Zuko decided to join in on a whim, and told Uncle's favorite tea joke… but he forgot quite how it began — and most of the middle part. The ending was pretty good, at least in his opinion. And even if they were laughing more at him then with him… well, that was okay too.

They were still heading for Chameleon Bay. So far, there hadn't been any sign of a pursuit. Aang's health was at the forefront of everyone's minds, and Zuko often took Appa down every couple of hours so they could all rest and have a break. Not that it mattered for the Avatar. He slept on, completely dead to the world.

As the sun sank down into the east, and the day drew to a close King Kuei was the first to spot the far shore of Chameleon Bay.

Zuko's heart leapt in his chest. Despite himself, he looked forward to seeing the Water Tribe again; to the welcoming atmosphere, and to the solid, almost comforting presence of Hakoda.

But when Appa sailed over the last ridge overlooking the bay, the beach below was empty.

Confused, Katara turned to look at him. "This is where you saw them last, right?"

"Yeah. This is where they camped. They were going to come back right after… " he trailed off over the next few words, but they hung in the air as if he had spoken them anyway.

The Water Tribe men were to return right after their battle with the Fire Nation ships.

Feeling cold dread lace around his heart like a tight net, Zuko snapped the reins and angled Appa down for a landing right in the middle of the rocky beach.

He didn't have his affinity with fire anymore, but one long look at the burned out fire pits told him that they had been cold for a long time. Days, probably.

Hakoda and the rest of the Water Tribe hadn't returned.

* * *

**OOOOOOOO**

* * *

Sokka poked uselessly at his rice dumplings with a pair of chopsticks. Even if he had gotten any sleep last night, and didn't feel like a flattened, run over armadillo-raccoon, the company at the breakfast table alone would have been enough to make him lose his appetite. He sat, staring downward at his plate with dull, uninterested eyes. He should be thinking; planning and trying to figure out why Azula hadn't thrown him in prison yet. But his heart was heavy, and a cloud of grief and lingering shock clouded his mind. He couldn't see past it to think straight.

Across the table, Azula picked up one perfectly cut slice of fish and chewed it. Her amber eyes flicked over his full plate. "What's the matter, Zuzu? Did you get too used to Earth Kingdom gruel?"

Ty Lee, who sat on Azula's left, giggled.

Sokka looked down at his plate and said nothing, poking again at the dumpling. "No."

"Perhaps I could have the cooks whip up some jook." continued Azula, and the corners of her lips curved up in what should have been a smile. "That's what the call the porridge here, isn't it? It's simple, peasant fair. You should like it."

"Maybe's he's just not hungry." Mai intoned. She, too, was poking at her plate and Sokka couldn't help but notice she kept shooting him glances when she thought he wasn't looking.

Sokka caught a flash of irritation — and something else he couldn't quite place, on Azula's face. But before he could figure out quite what it was, she shrugged and brought the napkin up to her lips. "Fine. You can starve for all I care." Her eyes fell to Sokka's right wrist, and the bones that stuck out from it. "It looks like you're quite used to that already."

There wasn't any kindness in her voice. It was all biting sarcasm and malice, but the words themselves made Sokka look up in surprise and focus on Azula's face. It was almost… almost something Katara would say.

Azula was trying to mother him.

The thought was so absurd that Sokka almost laughed out loud, and he had to bite the insides of his cheeks hard to keep quiet. But there was no doubt about it. There was something — well, not soft, but mildly concerned in Azula's golden eyes. She was a cruel monster wrapped up in the body of a girl, but Sokka remembered at that moment that she was also Zuko's little sister. Their bond was warped, twisted almost out of proportion — but maybe a thread of brother/sister love still lingered there.

Was that why he wasn't in prison along with Uncle?

Their eyes met, gold against gold, and Sokka was the first to look away. Determinedly, he put a small lump of rice in his mouth, and forced himself to swallow. If he felt like thinking, he would have noticed it was strange not to feel hungry.

Still, their meal passed in uneasy silence. Sokka didn't have the heart to talk with these… people. And the only time Azula ever seemed animated was when she mentioned that the Dai Li reported the capture of some sort of pirate fleet. She was going to have a lovely afternoon interrogating them.

After everyone had finished their meal (and Sokka and Mai had finished uselessly poking at his food) Azula dismissed them. Sokka made his way out — flanked by no less than three Dai Li agents — back through the halls of the Earth Kingdom Palace. It was mid-morning, but Sokka could feel a certain type of emptiness about the place. All of the noblemen and courtiers that lived here had probably either been turned out or fled from for their lives when the Fire Nation took over. The only ones that were left were dead-eyed servants, absently sweeping the floors.

The sound of quickened footsteps behind him made Sokka pause for a moment. In that instant, as if like a darting shadow, Mai appeared at his side. "Well, that was fun." she said, blandly.

"Yeah, that's me. A big fun barrel of octopus-monkeys."

The corner of Mai's mouth quirked up, and when Sokka continued walking down the hallway, she stayed at his side. A flash of irritation, briefly shone through his haze of grief and despair — bright and hot. Sokka turned, narrowing his eyes. "I'm just taking a walk. Azula's goons are right there in case I try anything." He jerked his thumb backwards at the three Dai Li agents who followed not fifteen feet away.

Mai didn't give a pause. "I know you're not going to try anything, Zuko." she intoned, "You're not that stupid."

"Then why are you following me?"

One dark eyebrow arched, although the rest of her face stayed impassive. "Who says I'm following you? Maybe I just felt like going in this direction, too."

"Yeah right."

But he kept walking, and she stayed by his side, her hands tucked neatly in the wide sleeves of her robes. The hallways of the Earth Kingdom palace were long and endlessly twisted, like the tunnels of the ancient badger-moles. Before long, Sokka knew he was lost… but that was okay… he hadn't actually set out with any destination in mind.

Mai was doing that funny glancing-but-not-glancing thing at him again. A couple of times, Sokka caught her at it, and when their eyes met she blushed and looked away.

Eventually, the long twisting hallways led them to a court yard. Sokka paused at the steps overlooking a well trimmed garden. Some overly creative gardener had cut the thick bushes into the shapes of a dozen or more different animals. He took in the sight of one of the animal topiaries with a saddened eye. Aang would have loved to see the giant elephant-koi posed leaping from out a small field of flowers.

"I would have thought you would be happier." Mai said, after a long, long period of silence. She was once more by his side, elegant hands resting against a white railing which bordered the display.

"Happy?" Sokka repeated, dully, thinking back to Kyoshi Island and the way Aang almost got eaten by that stupid sea serpent. He had been so annoyed back then…

"Well, you do have your honor back."

Another bright hot flash of irritation. Sokka's fists curled, and he turned to Mai. "I just helped kill a little boy yesterday." The hatred and grief on his face was so intense that the pale girl took a step back in shock. "My uncle is in prison. I don't know if he's going to be executed, and I'm probably going to be next." Now that Sokka was speaking, he felt like he couldn't stop. His heart felt torn open — he would have cried if there were any tears left to give. "So I'm sorry if I'm not jumping for joy around here. Things are different for me, now. You don't like the way I'm acting? Leave me alone."

He turned away from her, facing back to the topiaries, feeling a flicker of fire curl in between his knuckles. There was a time, only a few weeks ago, where that would have alarmed him. Sokka was used to it now, and just took a deep breath to steady himself.

He felt a hand slide to his shoulder. It felt soft… and strong at the same time. And when Mai spoke, her voice was the same — soft, but with a strong edge of tempered steel to it. "Hey, Azula's not going to let that happen to you."

Sokka furrowed his brow and turned his head slightly, looking at her from the corner of his good eye. "How do you know?"

It was strange how Mai seemed to shrug without making a move. "Because I've known her since I was two years old."

_Then she's known Zuko that long, too_. Sokka thought, the first real true thought he'd had in a day that was free of despair.

Mai's pale hand slipped down from his shoulder and interlaced with his fingers. Abruptly, Sokka was tugged forward. "Come on then," and again the corner of Mai's lip turned up. It almost looked like she wanted to smile. "If you're going to mope, at least do it while walking. This garden is boring."

* * *

**OOOOOOOO**

* * *

When the evening sun touched the rim of the far west horizon, Zuko decided he couldn't wait anymore. He was just climbing up, and reaching for the reins when the sound of crunching rocks behind him caught his attention.

"Where do you think you're going?" Katara's voice rang out, sounding for all the world like a mother catching a child sneaking out of the house.

"I'm going to fly out and see if I can spot any of the ships." Zuko said, not turning to look at her. A whole new type of worry gnawed at his stomach. There was no way that the Water Tribesmen should have taken this long. Something must have gone wrong. "Don't try to stop me, Katara."

"Then I'm coming with you."

"No." Now he looked at her, and saw exactly what he had feared; her mouth set in a stubborn line, but her wide eyes shared the same type of worry he himself had been feeling. It was bad enough that he worried so much for men he hardly knew… he didn't know how to handle it if his "sister" saw that her father was… dead. "You have to watch over Aang, in case he wakes up."

"I'm not letting you go out alone." Katara's voice was hard, and catching herself, she paused and took a deep breath before starting again. "I know what you're trying to do, Sokka. I know that you're trying to take care of everyone, and you're protecting me. But he's my father too. I need to go with you."

Zuko took a long look out to the west, and to the setting sun. He hadn't really come up with a plan; he just couldn't take waiting anymore and he had to do something. But the fact was he would be out on open water, and there was no one better than a Waterbender for backup. "Fine, but make sure Toph sticks by Aang's side." He didn't trust King Keui to manage an ant-hill much less a sick Avatar.

Ten minutes later they were flying over the water, so low that some high waves splashed over Appa's three pairs of feet. Zuko didn't want to bring them high, and present a visible target for any enemy ships.

Katara sat by his side on Appa's head, legs tucked up under herself. She didn't say anything, but Zuko could see the taunt lines of stress on her face.

_Please let them be alright._ He thought fervently, clutching the reigns in his sweaty hands. For some reason, he flashed to his own mother and the last time he saw her. He had been too confused and sleepy to really say goodbye, then. And his goodbyes were cut off short with Hakoda, a few days ago. People were always taken out of his life so fast, and never without any sort of goodbye. There had been nothing he could say to Uncle as well.

_Please… be okay…_

It wasn't okay.

They came across what was left of the fleet, bobbing in splinters across the surface of the water. A tattered bright blue sail listed off to the side, marking the mess with the Southern Water Tribe insignia.

Katara gave a strangled sort of a cry and immediately Zuko pulled her against him, shielding her face from it all, letting her cry against his neck. His own body shuddered, trembled, and the two gripped each other in their grief so hard there would be bruises the next day.

When Zuko felt he could open his eyes again, he looked over Katara's shoulder to the wreckage. Something, though, was missing. Something very important.

"Where are all the bodies?"

"What?" Katara drew away from him at last and looked around, puffy eyed and stricken. "What do you mean?"

"There must have been sixty men." Zuko crept out along the edge of Appa's head and looked over the water. He was being morbid, but he had seen a wide-scale navel disaster before. After escaping the North Pole, he and Uncle had floated their small raft out beyond the wreckage of the Fire Nation fleet. Zuko would never forget the bodies, floating like the many pieces of drifted wood floated now. There had been more than the eye could see.

Tentatively, Katara reached with both hands clasped and then drew them apart. The waves rippled to her command, and the wreckage of wood and sail shifted, and turned — but nothing gruesome bubbled up.

"I don't understand," Katara said.

But Zuko did. "They've all been captured by the Fire Nation."

* * *

**OOOOOOOO**

* * *

Sokka and Mai walked on, down through another set of long tunnels lighted with green flared torches every five feet or so. It would have almost been romantic, in a gloomy sort of way, if Sokka wasn't nearly paralyzed emotionally by grief and if Mai wasn't paralyzed emotionally normally.

Eventually they came to another opening — a cavern that seemed at once vaguely familiar. A waft of air filtered in, smelling stale and medicinal. It brought Sokka immediately back to the small cell he had shared with Jin. At once, he recognized the opening of the Dai Li prison.

"Nice place," commented Mai, vaguely.

Something drew Sokka forward, and he rounded the next corner to see a Dai Li agent guarding the main entrance. Dropping Mai's hand, he walked up to the man. "Why are you here?" Sokka demanded. Something was buzzing in the back of his head… but he couldn't quite place it. It was a half formed memory… what had Azula been saying over breakfast?

The agent looked momentarily surprised, but after all Sokka had a distinctive face and the agent knew who he was at once. He bowed low before replying. "I'm manning the front gate on Princess Azula's orders, sir. She's to interrogate the prisoners."

The buzzing in the back of his mind increased. "What prisoners? I thought the Avatar let them all go."

Again, the agent looked startled. But by now Mai had drawn up again next to Sokka, and faced with two Fire Nation nationals, he didn't dare comment. "Just a bunch of Water Tribe pirates—"

He didn't get any further. Sokka shoved past him so hard that the agent fell backwards. He yelled out for him to stop, but Sokka was already off — running as fast and as hard as he could.

Fear and horrible realization seared away the fog of grief. Finally, Sokka's mind felt clear again. He remembered that there were four floors to the prison, and as he ran flat out he started calculating in his mind exactly how long it would take to search all of them – and what he would do the Dai Li somehow tried to stop him…

… then he came to the first row of cells, and skitted to a halt.

They were all there. Every face he remembered from his childhood. All of them crammed too many to too small of cells; locked behind bars like animals.

Heedless of their glares, Sokka stepped forward, searching for the one man he knew better than everyone else.

Someone, Kuthruk probably, nudged Hakoda who was turned away facing the back. "Hey, Chief. Look who's come to visit."

And Hakoda turned, and saw the Prince of the Fire Nation staring at him.

* * *

**OOOOOOOO**

* * *

I usually don't ask outright for reviews, because I feel it's tacky, but I'm celebrating my birthday today (it was actually a few days ago, but today I'm celebrating it today) so I get an excuse. So… reviews and your general thoughts would be really appreciated. Hehe. :D


	13. Temptation of Sokka

**Notes:** *Creeps in* Have any of you writers out there ever got to a point in a story where you look down at what you've written and went, "Oh man, I am loosing grip on my characters. This sucks! *insert self induced angst here*"? That's kinda what happened to me with this story.

So it's thanks to Aka Arashi (who has been a great beta/supporter) that I got over myself and just wrote. Thank you SO much. And thank you to everyone else who PM'ed and asked when the next part was going to be up. The long wait is unacceptable, and you have my apologies.

* * *

**OOOOOOOOO**

**

* * *

**

**Previously in another chapter:**

_Hakoda favored him an amused glance. "Aren't you listening? I said the rest of you men get ready for battle."_

_There was a beat as Zuko processed the information. It felt good, and it hurt at the same time — hurt that it wasn't really his Dad who was saying those words. But he couldn't stop the smile on his face anyway, and with a quick nod, went to help Bato lift one of the heavy mines._

_And later, an even more treacherous thought then one against his own country cropped up in his mind, along with a wave of guilt._

_Sokka should have been the one to hear that from his father._

* * *

**OOOOOOOOO**

* * *

Sokka hadn't seen his father in over two years. Not since the day Hakoda led the rest of the Southern Water Tribe warriors to war, and out of their lives.

He hardly recognized him.

It was strange. His dad had the same deeply tanned face and bright blue eyes that Sokka had once shared. The same natural air of leadership that Hakoda wore around him like a comfortable cloak. It was just that he had always seemed like such a large, steadying figure in Sokka's memories. Almost larger than life. Now Sokka was nearly his height, and he could see worry lines on his father's face where he had not seen them before, along with a small dusting of silver at his temple.

But it was Dad…

Hakoda stepped forward, putting himself between what he saw was the Fire Prince and his men, gripping the bars of his cell. "You're the Fire Lord's son, aren't you?"

His words were like a slap in Sokka's face, but it was a slap that he needed. He had been staring at his father with an expression of abject disbelief. Miserably, he reined it in, replacing it with what he hoped was a blank mask. Glancing back, he saw Mai and the Dai Li guard walking briskly towards him. He only had a few moments of privacy.

Sokka stepped to the bars and saw with satisfaction how Hakoda didn't flinch back. He wanted to know if his dad was alright, but that would be far too personal to ask. He had to think. He had to be smart. Sokka settled with, "How many of your men are injured?"

His dad's gaze flicked up to his face, judging him and weighting his own answer. Finally, after a long moment he gave a small, almost invisible nod. Perhaps he saw something in Sokka's intense gaze, something friendly… something he recognized. "Four," Hakoda answered, lowly. "We're in need of sterilized bandaging… and food. Water."

"You'll have it." Sokka promised.

Mai had come to his side at last. She wasn't breathing hard, although Sokka knew she had to hurry to catch up to him. He stepped back, forcing a look of contempt across his face for her benefit.

He half expected Mai to demand why he had run off like that, but apparently that wasn't her style. Her disinterested gaze swept over the Water Tribe men. Whatever her true opinion was, she held it under a veil of boredom. "So these are Water Tribe pirates? I didn't expect them to be so… grungy."

Naturally, Sokka took offence to that. They weren't grungy. They were sea-worthy. But that gave him an opening. "You're right, Mai," he answered, before he turned, snapping, "Guard! The state of these prisoners offends me. I demand that you at least provide them with water to bathe with." He put as much Princely arrogance in his voice as possible, and the Dai Li nearly agent snapped to attention. Smirking, Sokka turned back to his father, cocking an eyebrow. "Your people do bathe, right?"

Hakoda's jaw tightened, but Sokka had faith that he would play along. After all, he had taught Sokka everything that he knew. Sure enough, Hakoda leaned his head back and spit. Sokka had to jump out of the way to avoid it landing on his robes. Behind the Chief, his men roared in laughter.

"Water Tribe savage." Sokka growled, pitching Zuko's voice low and menacing. "I'll deal with you later. Personally." He glared at his father, and a flicker of understanding passed between the two.

Forcing himself to break the gaze, he turned and gestured to Mai before striding out. It was one of the hardest things Sokka had ever had to do, but there was no choice. Not if he was going to have any shot at a rescue, later.

"What was that about?" Mai asked, once they were out of hearing range. She never _looked _like she hurried, but she had to increase her stride to keep up with Sokka's rapid, angry step.

"Water Tribe pirates attacked my ship, one time," he invented, setting his gaze stolidly ahead. "I wanted to see if they were the same ones."

"And?"

"I don't know. They all look the same to me."

They were passing again through the softly lit tunnel, retracing their steps back to the gardens and the playful topiaries. Sokka's mind again went back to Aang, but the wave of sadness was tempered now. Redeeming himself was out of the question. There would be no redemption; no way he could ever win back his honor after Aang's death.

But as he walked with the dark silent girl at his side, Sokka realized he could try to make things better, one little gesture at a time. He would work tirelessly for the next sixteen years, if he had too, until the new Avatar was ready…. He could stop the bleeding, until then.

And that would start now, with his father.

* * *

**OOOOOOOOO**

* * *

"That was strange." Kuthruk muttered in an undertone, once the prince and his dark companion had left. The Dai Li agent waited until the royal was out of sight before scurrying off, hopefully to fetch some water buckets.

Hakoda nodded in agreement. He wished that Bato was with him, but he had been placed three cells over with the rest of their group. It was bad luck on their part, since it was impossible to sneak messages back and forth, but Hakoda had caught his second in command watching the exchange and forming his own opinions.

He had heard of Prince Zuko before, but he had never met the man. His features were shocking, almost horrifying to look at, and to think that the Fire Lord had done that to his own son…. Well, it went against the grain of Hakoda's personality. Maybe that was the root of why the young man had seemed to be so strangely rebellious.

"He knew who I was… I can't explain it, but somehow I got the feeling he knew me." Hakoda mused, rubbing his chin. None of their captors had so much as asked their names, although he suspected those questions — and more — would be coming shortly.

Kuthruk was a healer, and not a strategist. "So?"

"So, I think he has inside information."

"Ah," Kuthruk gave a satisfied sigh. "Sokka."

"Perhaps. My son could charm an angry tigerseal with a toothache. He and Katara have traveled with the Avatar. Maybe they made friends with that boy along the way."

Their speculation was silenced as the Dai Li agent came back, a bucket of fresh water in each hand along with two hard loafs of bread. It would hardly be enough for Hakoda's fleet of hungry and thirsty men, but it was already more than they had been provided in the last day of captivity.

And a few hours later, more was sent down. A veritable feast — the Dai Li agents scoffed, saying even leftovers from the royals' breakfast was more than what the Water Tribe pirates deserved.

Hakoda knew where it had come from, and smiled secretly to himself.

* * *

**OOOOOOOOO**

* * *

"No," Zuko said, holstering his boomerang. He had gone out in what he thought was a hidden spot shielded by a glade of trees to practice with the stupid thing. So far he had at least figured out how to throw it at an angle so that it would come back— even if he didn't always catch it on the return. (If not for Sokka's blue hand-wraps he may have lost a finger or two already— this was a weapon, not a child's toy.) He hadn't expected to be followed. "We need to stay together."

"I'm only in the way." Kuei said, drawing himself up and looking down at Zuko from over the spectacles on his nose. "I've thought about this, and it's the most logical thing to do at this point. Bosco and I can travel together — I won't be alone."

He was asking him, Zuko realized with a start. Kuei, an adult, a King, was asking him — someone he thought of as a Water Tribe peasant, for permission to leave. Then again, considering the Earth Kingdom monarch an adult might be giving him too much credit. Kuei had spent his entire life in the earth-palace, yet responsible for nothing. He had finally stopped asking permission to go out to use the bathroom a couple of days ago.

Zuko looked away for a brief moment, back towards the camp. Far off in the distance, just through the trees he could see the white of Appa's bulk. They had been camping out and it was a rough existence. Zuko hardly knew how to hunt. Even when he had been on the run with Uncle they had ended up begging or stealing. Sokka could hunt, of course, but Zuko hadn't magically inherited any of his knowledge along with his body.

And it was harder and harder to return every day and explain why he was empty-handed.

He turned back to Kuei. "If you go alone," he said. "It won't be easy. You can starve. They won't see you as a royal out there."

Kuei nodded, a benign smile on his face. "I know there will be hardships, but this is something I have to do. I've been… kept in for far too long. If I am going to rule this land, I need to at least see it once."

"That's what—" he stopped himself just in time. For a moment, Zuko forgot that Kuei was not speaking to him as equals — Prince to King, but as a child-like man to a boy. "That's what a lot of monarchies do," he amended. "Their children are sent out to travel the world so they aren't cloistered and spoiled when they take the throne." His own banishment aside, Ozai traveled widely and searched for the Avatar for years before married, and Uncle had been a celebrated General with many battles to his credit. It was how the Fire Nation did things, and in his opinion it made good solid sense.

"I've already said my goodbyes to the others." The King shouldered his pack, and reached out, gripping Zuko's shoulder. "I know you won't believe me, but you're taking good care of them, Sokka." And with that he turned, calling to Bosco. And bear and King made their way out to the forest to the great beyond.

Zuko watched him go, rubbing his shoulder absently. Kuei had a stronger grip than he had figured. Maybe he would do okay, out there.

He turned back to the camp with a sigh. A small cooking fire had been started, and Toph gave him an absent wave. She was idly picking at her toes with a sharp stick — he tried not to look too closely. Katara was on the other side of the fire, kneeling by Aang's quiet, stilled form. She was carefully ringing out a damp rag, letting the droplets collect in his mouth.

He hadn't so much as stirred for the past four days.

Zuko paused and watched Katara work for a moment. He thought about asking her if there had been any change, but of course there hadn't. He and Katara had even gotten in an argument about it last night — she took his constant questions as a lack of faith in her healing ability, and he wanted results.

Nothing had been accomplished, except for blowing off a little steam at one another. Today, the mood around the camp was still awkward; silent.

Abruptly Toph stood up, tossing her toe-picking stick out into the bushes with a flourish. "I'm hungry!"

"We're all hungry." Zuko snapped, resisting the urge to rub at the bridge on his nose. How was he supposed to protect the group if they all starved to death? Why couldn't he catch one stupid animal? What was so hard about it?

_Sokka could probably do it…_

His stomach grumbled painfully. Katara looked up from Aang and gave him a half bemused smile; her first one since they had found the scattered remains of the Water Tribe ships.

"Well I'm not going to sit around here and just wish for food. There has to be something out there." Toph jerked her thumb behind herself before she turned on her heel and strode off into the bushes.

"Toph! Come back here!" He had meant to snap the words out, or at least try to have them carry some authority, but Sokka's throat made it sound more like a whine than anything else. He shot a helpless look at Katara who only shrugged in return. So he had no choice but to follow the stubborn little girl out into the woods.

She was already to the tree-lined glade by the time he caught up to her. Feeling — or seeing — him approach, she stopped in the middle of the grassy field and waited for him, hands firmly on her hips. "Why haven't you been able to catch anything, Sparky? I thought you said you were a great hunter."

He sighed. "Look, I'm trying — and what's with the new nickname?" Always before it had been Snoozles, or Meathead. Sparky was a new one.

She shrugged, unhelpfully. "I don't understand why we can't just buy what we need."

"We don't have any money, Toph. It doesn't grow on trees." Unfortunately. And they had been too busy fleeing for their lives after Ba Sing Se to stop by the house and gather the important things, like coins. He supposed he could go back to raiding travelers—

Zuko flashed back to the first day he had met Toph, as Sokka, and the large bag of coins she had 'won' in the lower rings of Ba Sing Se. That was it! "Hey Toph," he said, trying and failing to sound casual. He knew she heard it in his voice, her left ear nearly twitched as she turned to him. "I don't suppose you would be up for a trip to the nearest town to play a game…"

The smile that crawled across her face was definitely shark-like. "Now you're talking, Sparky!" And she punched his shoulder hard enough to make him wince.

"But I'm going with you this time, and when I say we're going _we're going_. We have to be stealthy and quick." He waited a beat after the girl's nod before he continued, just to let it sink in. Bender or not, he would drag her out himself if he sensed any sort of trouble. "I'll tell Katara."

"No, I'll tell Sweetness." She jerked a thumb into her own chest. "If you tell her, she'll know something is up. You are the most horrible liar I've ever met." Another punch in the shoulder, and she turned to walk away, leaving Zuko staring after her with a bemused expression on his face.

"You have no idea how good of one I can be," he murmured, quietly to himself, before he followed.

* * *

**OOOOOOOOO**

**

* * *

  
**

The next few days had Sokka nearly consumed with the idea of plotting escape. Just like when he had invented his mechanical tea maker, he found as long as he focused working on that and nothing else, it drove a sharp clarity in his mind and kept the haze of pain and despair out.

By day he kept with the downtrodden mask of Zuko. It worked really well for him — no one thought twice when he growled or snapped at the slightest provocation. He played the surly banished prince, still unsure of his newfound honor. Certainly, Azula didn't seem to mind. Sokka let her play her games and pretend to fall for her little petty slights at the meal table, and be driven into a rage. It felt good, in a sick way, to unleash all of his hurt and anger out on someone. Ty Lee would watch him with wide grey eyes, and said nothing. Mai too, kept her council, but Sokka could still count on her to be his gloomy shadow whenever he stepped out of his room.

But that was okay. She was full of unexpected information.

He found himself in the courtyard more than once, testing out his skill with the Dao swords. He sucked. But he was quickly getting better… Zuko's muscles had trained for years with forms and steps that had eventually become part of the way he moved. He wasn't going to become a master in a few days, but having Zuko's muscle memory and Sokka's own innate talent went a long way.

By night he worked tirelessly on his plan for rescue and escape; pulling out maps, making himself memorize the positions and current locations of more than two dozen Fire Navy divisions. He would redeem himself, somehow, and knowing the enemy's whereabouts was the first step.

He also didn't dare to visit his father and the rest of the tribe, although he was sure to slip missives in Azula's morning orders — directions for them to be fed, and for the sick and wounded to be given proper medical care.

He wished desperately he could send them a note — something, anything to let his dad know that help was coming. In the dark hours of the night he even composed quick letters — A copy of his most recent plans to Dad to help check for mistakes, apologies to Katara and Toph for failing so badly… for failing them all…

He would always burn the letters in the sanity of morning light.

And he always brought Uncle his morning tea, without fail. Iroh still wouldn't talk to him, wouldn't even look at him. And it hurt. But that was alright… Sokka couldn't even look at himself anymore.

* * *

**OOOOOOOOO**

* * *

Sokka woke up, suddenly, without knowing exactly why. He had been hot last night – almost sickeningly warm and had kicked off all the blankets in his sleep. The dark red sheets were all that were left, now crumpled luridly on and around his lower half.

He blinked, rolled his head side to side in sleepy confusion, and his eyes locked with Mai's.

Sokka yelped in shock, scrambling at the sheets to hide his dignity. He tried to sit up, missed his mark, and fell with a thud on the other side of the bed.

Mai raised a dark eyebrow. She rose from her seat by the bed. "Are you okay?"

"Mrumph." Sokka struggled to sit up, glaring over the bed in exasperation. "What are you —You just… Don't sneak up on people like that!"

Mai's eyebrow itched up higher, and Sokka pulled himself back on his feet, sheet still clutched around his waist. A quick look around the room assured him that he had remembered to at least put away all the maps and things last night before he crashed on the bed.

He straightened, wanting to cross his arms over his bare chest before belatedly remembered that he was Prince-Jerk here, and whatever Mai's reason for sneaking in his room had better be good.

Maybe some of his thoughts came through on his expression. The gloomy girl gave a sort of a sigh and sunk back down on her chair. "Those Water Tribe pirates you are so obsessed with are going to be moved back to the capital prison tomorrow," she said, her voice etched in boredom. "I just thought you should know."

Sokka's gut clenched. "What do you mean. I—" A dozen thoughts flashed through his head, a thousand fears. Somehow he forced himself to push it all away and focus immediately on what was in front of him. And if he had his own voice, it would have cracked, but Zuko's just stammered, "I-I don't care about Water Tribe prisoners."

The corner of Mai's mouth twitched upward. She didn't believe him for a moment. "Oh come on, Zuko. My uncle is warden of the Boiling Rock. You don't think the guards don't know him, or me? Do you really think that your little notes to keep those prisoners fed wouldn't go unnoticed?"

Sokka swallowed. "What have you told Azula?"

"I'm here, aren't I?" she answered, which was no answer at all. Her chin lifted, imperious. "What's your real reason, Zuko? Why do you care so much about _them_?"

"I don't care."

"You're lying."

Both stared at each other from across the bed; Sokka's light gold eyes against Mai's darker amber. She was the first to look away, and Sokka suddenly recalled some of what she had told him the night they first met.

"_It's been three years. You went from the boy I used to throw mud at to just gone and banished in one day. Why couldn't you just keep your mouth shut?"_

And somehow, he knew that her reason for being here had something to do with that. He tested the theory, and gave a sort of half-hearted, awkward shrug. "Well you said yourself, once…I can't keep my mouth shut."

Mai's head snapped back, and her eyes narrowed. "You're obsessed with playing hero and saving people. It's getting boring." A spot of color darkened her pale cheeks. "Do you think that those Water Tribe pirates care what will happen to you if Azula finds out?"

Playing hero? _Zuko_? Those things didn't add up, but Sokka didn't let any of his confusion show. "Maybe you don't know the people of the Water Tribe." A beat. "Are you going to tell Azula?"

His words somehow snapped the thick tension between them. Mai gave a soft sigh. "No." And her face slid once again into an unreadable mask. "If you want to play hero, go ahead. But if you get caught and killed this time I won't care, Zuko. Don't expect me to cry at your funeral."

She turned and walked out, leaving him and confused… and strangely breathless.

* * *

**OOOOOOOOO**

* * *

Loung, a Dai Li agent with more than ten years under his belt, cursed his luck for drawing guard duty that night. He stamped his feet, trying to get warm. Damn prison was always cold, and the moist air fed in from under Lake Laogai didn't help. At night, the condensation collected on cool surfaces, and by the break of morning everything was wet.

Not that his current prisoners minded. This was probably balmy compared to the snowy wastes. Agent Loung blew into his fists, sending a surreptitious glance towards the motley Water Tribe rabble.

It was late, and most of them were sleeping — back to back, Loung noted, like dogs. At least one lookout was always awake among them, watching over the rest. As if they could do anything. As if they had power.

The one currently selected for watch was the man Loung had heard the other call their Chief. Like most of them, he had a few bruises here and there along his dark face from questioning. All standard stuff. None of them had been really hurt so far. The real work, Loung heard, would come once the prisoners were transferred over to the Fire Nation.

His fingers felt half frozen, and he blew fiercely into them again. Maybe he could slip away for a moment and grab a cup of tea. Something to warm up his blood.

There was a movement to the right — a slight shift in the shadows. Loung turned, but he had not had the chance to register it, or indeed even become afraid before the shadow solidified into something real, and struck. Loung got the impression of a dark form, a tusked blue face, before the world went dark.

Chief Hakoda had watched the swift attack from his cell. He had noted with some amusement earlier how the lamps and torches seemed to be burning low tonight. Only later — when the rest of this craziness was over with, and he had a second to breathe and reflect — would he realize that perhaps that was done on purpose, and controlled by a firebender.

For now he stooped and shook the closest shoulder, an aged warrior named Tatum. The other man woke with a snort, but quickly followed his chief's eyes. Wordlessly, he got up and started to wake the others while Hakoda approached the front of the cell.

"Who are you?" he asked. "Are you a friend?"

The man didn't answer. He was dressed in a close fit black outfit, his face obscured by a wooden blue Oni mask. He was bent, gloved fingers patting over agent Loung's pockets. A moment later he rose with a ring of keys in his hand.

The Water Tribesmen were all awake now, and were murmuring back and forth in mixed wonder and hope. Hakoda turned and quelled them back to silence with a swift look.

He turned back, locking gazes with their rescuer. He couldn't see the man's face. Even his eyes were obscured by the deep mask. "Can we trust you?" Hakoda asked.

The masked man paused and then inclined his head in a single nod. He inserted the key and jerked open the door.

There was no reason to trust him, except for the door was open and Hakoda was not gong to allow his men to stay there. He nodded in return and the masked man backed away, turning, gesturing for them to follow. There was a sharp set of broadswords strapped to his back.

Bato had come to Hakoda's side at once. "He's trying to lead us in the wrong direction. Outside's that way."

But now the Blue Spirit was gesturing more franticly. Hakoda gave a pause, and then nodded. "He may know of a better way out."

The men of the Water Tribe were nothing if not disciplined. All sixty or so men fell into a loose flanking position — the healthy supporting the sick and injured. With the mysterious masked man guiding them, they moved deeper into the complex, down into tunnels with walls heavy and moist with dew.

They met no resistance, which made Hakoda edgy. For his part, he stuck near the front, within safe striking distance of the masked man. He had his own theories, and those kept his eyes on the man, watching every second for betrayal. Hakoda was just about to remark on the absence of guards when a shiver went through the very floor around them, felt even through their seal-hide boots.

The Blue Spirit was only two paces ahead, but at this he turned, and Hakoda could read the sudden tenseness in his lanky form. The meaning was clear as if it had been spoken.

"We've been discovered!" Hakoda called back.

No sooner than the warning left his lips then the tunnel to the right crumbled away into a dark archway. Three low-brimmed figures stood there, rock gloves clenched and ready.

For a moment, there was silence. The escapee's didn't have a weapon among them. Everything had been taken away upon their capture. But the Water Tribe men had heart, and they weren't going to give up that easily. A scattered roar started from somewhere in the middle of the crowd, and the men of the Water Tribe rushed forward fists raised and willing to fight for their freedom with their bare knuckles.

The Dai Li agent in the middle struck out — a quick chopping gesture, and a ravine of earth split and fell between the tribesmen, cutting the larger group in half. Some of the men fell back with hesitation, some tripped up in the fissure itself.

Another sharp gesture from the Dai Li and squares of brick separated themselves from the wall to be flung with bone crunching accuracy at the unarmed men.

Hakoda was lucky. He had been missed both by the pitfall and the bricks. He leapt the ravine with a snarl, clocking the closest earthbender with a hit that made the other man's head snap back.

The agent next to him turned, and Hakoda tried to block, but there was nothing he could do against the rock fisted gloves flying right for him…

Someone gave a hoarse cry. "NO!" And suddenly the rock gloves were cut from the air, reduced to crumbles in an instant by a flashing Dao sword.

It was the moment the Water Tribe men needed. They rushed forward, and the two remaining Dai Li fell back. Their earthbending skills weren't a match for the angry, desperate men.

The Blue Spirit turned, gripping Hakoda's forearm. Even though the chief couldn't see behind the eyes, the meaning was clear. They needed to leave. Now. Hakoda gave the order to his men, pulling them away before they outright killed the now unconscious agents.

They ran.

* * *

**OOOOOOOOO**

**

* * *

  
**

The very edge of false dawn had lit the sky. Some stars could be seen, but those were fading fast being replaced instead by gray pallor. That faint light, and the cool crisp air was the first thing the Water Tribe men saw once they finally emerged from the tunnels, right along the shores of Lake Laogai.

Some of the more injured were reaching exhaustion, and Hakoda reluctantly called for a halt. They still had a long way to go before they could be safe… there would be patrols in the daylight, and he wanted to put as much distance between themselves and Ba Sing Se as possible. But it was dangerous for men to function off of adrenaline alone. They would rest for half-an-hour and then begin again.

The chief glanced towards their silent rescuer. He still had not shed the mask, nor spoken another word. The Blue Spirit kept himself apart, standing at the shore with back turned towards the men… almost as if he could not bear to see them. He did not seek their gratitude, or their company.

Hakoda joined him silently. Together, they watched the sun slowly rise by inches above the horizon. Somehow, he knew that this was where they would part company.

Hakoda spoke at last. "I still don't understand why you saved us, but I'm thankful that you did."

The man's shoulder's lowered and he gave a tiny, imperceptible shake of his head. This close, and in the dawning sunlight, Hakoda could see a sliver of skin between the sweat-slicked black hair and the edge of the mask. The red tipped, burned ear. Not that the chief was surprised. He had guessed as such, and it certainty explained why his rescuer wished to keep his identity hidden.

"You can come with us," Hakoda said. "Whatever is in your past, me and my men will not hold it against you."

The masked man turned, and Hakoda wished he could see some expression behind the blue oni's scowl. But the man finally broke his silence. His voice was roughened with emotion. "I can do more good back there." He paused, and took in a shaky half breath. "I sorta have… a lot to make up for."

"We owe you a debt."

The man snorted softly, an unhappy sound, and shook his head again. There was a pause as he dug around in his black jerkin and came back out with a folded piece of parchment. "If you see your son," he said, and Hakoda was sure he heard Prince Zuko's voice crack. "Give this to him."

"I will." Hakoda said, taking the parchment.

With one long look, one final hesitation, the man in the blue spirit mask turned and disappeared the way that he came.

* * *

**OOOOOOOOO**

* * *


	14. Little Red String

**Notes**: I was traveling the road of life and got a little lost... okay, really, really lost (and really really late) and... Oh Hell. I have no excuse. None. Zip. Zilch. Nada.

* * *

**OOOOOOOOO**

**

* * *

**

Sokka was nearing the end of his own mental and Zuko's body's physical endurance by the time he scaled the last of the vine covered walls and dropped into the balcony outside his rooms. Stripping off the Blue Spirit mask and his dark shirt, he collapsed onto the bed, shaking, shuddering.

Some of it was almost certainly exhaustion. He had fought hard to free his father and the rest of the Water Tribe men, get them past Dai Li guards and lead them to safety. He had used only half-realized skills and then he had to book it double-time to make it to the palace before he was missed. The trip back was harrowing at best; every tree seemed to have eyes, every shadow felt like it was lurking Dai Li agent.

But he was a warrior of the Southern Water Tribe. He could take it, even if simply having to endure was the worst part of it all. Fighting with this dad, so close to the people he grew up with and loved… and a world away all at the same time. Sokka had thought that the hard part would be giving his father the letter. No, the hardest part was how much he had wanted to rip off the mask, grab his dad by the shoulders and tell him everything – how much he and Katara had missed him, how he had _tried_ to be the man that he should be, how he failed Aang and… and he wanted so badly to hear his dad tell him that it was okay, that he understood, and that together they would figure something out… somehow.

But in the end he had stuck to the plan, told Hakoda to deliver the letter to his son –_his son_ – if he should see him.

Sokka curled on his side, arms over his chest. It should have felt like there was a gaping hole there, but the sun was steadily rising and instead he just felt a rising, almost pleasant warmth starting to buzz through his veins. Firebender. Right.

He lay there for no more than fifteen minutes before he heard a faint tinkle of morning bells – summons and notification that breakfast was being served. He didn't remember getting up, splashing water on his face and finding a change of clothes. Sokka wouldn't have bothered at all if it wouldn't be too suspicious to not be present at breakfast. Right now, the plan was to stay alive and keep on Azula's good side so he would be in a position to do more, later. It was all he had left.

Breakfast was the usual affair. He, Mai, Ty Lee and Azula sat together at a table. Sokka ate mechanically and played nice, but not too nice – he never forgot that he had Zuko's face, after all.

Azula had requested that the chef prepare Fire Nation fare for Ba Sing Se's new rulers, so the food was spicy enough to burn all the way down. What he wouldn't give for some well-stewed sea prunes…

Sokka noticed, only out of the corner of his eye, when a Dai Li agent swept in and stood by Azula's side, bending to whisper something in her ear.

"You what?" Azula's words were calm, but so icy cold that she caught the instant attention of the entire table anyway. Especially when every lit fire in the room went blue.

Sigh. "What's the problem now?" Mai, of course.

Azula didn't so much as glance at her. "It seems there was some trouble last night. The Water Tribe barbarians are gone. Well? What are you waiting for?" she snapped and the Dai Li agent actually cringed, for all that he was a grown man and she a girl – it didn't matter. Her power over them was absolute. "They couldn't have all simply disappeared. They must be within the city. Find them at once!"

"Yes, Princess." The agent backed away, still bowing low.

And then Azula turned. Her amber eyes met Sokka's – he had been staring. Quickly, he covered the moment with a cough, as if the shockingly spicy food had gone down the wrong tube.

"Oh, Zuzu?"

He looked up again, fighting back the insane desire to answer with a stupid pet name of his own. 'Zula, maybe? Zul-zul? "Yes?"

Zuko's sister regarded him for a moment in silence and then without looking down, speared a single grape straight through with a finely carved chopstick. "You weren't in your rooms last night."

Sokka's shoulders tightened in reflex, but he met her gaze squarely, some part of him aware in the background of the way Ty Lee's grey eyes had widened and Mai's intense focus. How could Azula have guessed? Sokka thought he was a smart guy, but he wouldn't have put two and two together that easily. Or was she bluffing? She never visited him in his rooms. How did she know?

"Yeah? So?" he said, lifting one shoulder in a careless shrug. "Maybe if you didn't have so many Dai Li watching over me, you'd have enough to watch your prisoners."

Something quality in Azula's amber eyes changed, seeming almost to brighten. Sokka he had scored a hit. Yet her gaze didn't waver from his and her voice still remained as cold as ice. "Where were you, brother?"

Sokka opened his mouth, but he honestly didn't know what he was going to say. He had no answer he could give. His brain felt like it was going at only half-speed. He knew that rescuing his dad and his men would probably come back and bite him in the blubber, but there hadn't been time to create an alibi. He—

A hand closed over his, suddenly. Cool and dry. Sokka met Mai's dark gaze for a moment and then forced a smile. It came unnaturally. "I'd give you the details, but I was always taught that it wasn't polite to kiss and tell." Then he covered Mai's hand with his other, for emphasis.

Azula seemed taken aback – although surely not as much as Sokka himself. "Oh. Well then," she said, visibly deflating. "It's about time. I was starting to wonder if you were interested in girls at all." Then, she looked back down to the plate and popped the speared grape in her mouth. The fires all in the room went back to a cheery orange.

"Oh Mai!" Ty Lee clapped her hands together. "I was wondering why your aura was less gray than usual!"

Mai's fair cheeks reddened and she looked away. So did Sokka.

* * *

**OOOOOOOOO**

**

* * *

**

After breakfast, Sokka made a show of walking Mai out, still hand in hand, down the palace halls. The new wash of adrenaline had faded from breakfast and he should have started to feel lousy again, or scared (he was, after all, holding hands with the needle-girl), but he felt… strangely peaceful instead.

"I guess this means I owe you big time," he said, once he was sure he and Mai were out of earshot of anyone else.

She shrugged, but didn't seem to want her hand back. "I just didn't want to visit you in a jail cell. Too dingy."

He managed a tired grin, strangely lopsided on Zuko's face, and together they walked to the gardens. The silence between them felt… comfortable. Natural.

Exhaustion would finally catch up to Sokka later on, sitting under the shade of a long limbed fruit tree. He only meant to close his eyes for a moment – although it ended up being more than an hour.

And Mai would sit quietly by, her dark gaze thoughtful.

* * *

**OOOOOOOOO**

**

* * *

**

The nearest settlement was no more than a backwater village, and normally two new faces would have stood out like a sore thumb, but luck was with them – for once. The early summer harvest was in and with it a multitude of merchants, traders and gamblers. One Water-Tribe boy and a little blind girl were hardly noticed.

And Toph was good.

Zuko hung awkwardly by her, trying and failing to look relaxed. It was easy to slouch in Sokka's body – it seemed sometimes all his years of chastisement by tutors and Zuko's mother had flown right out the window. But for all that he was slouched, he was hardly relaxed; his blue eyes darting around the crowd, wide mouth pinched in an unhappy line. Zuko no longer felt drawn to his former element, but he did miss the practical side of being a firebender. If things went sour, all he had at hand was a single broadsword and a bison whistle.

If Toph was at all anxious, she didn't show it. She had been working this crowd for half an hour, using her subtle earthbending skills to tip the scales in her favor. Zuko was starting to get the bad feeling that they were wearing out their welcome, though. A couple gamers had peeled off from the group and formed a knot nearby, muttering to themselves and casting dark glances in Toph's direction. Time to leave.

Zuko stepped forward. "Hey sis," he said, using the cover story he and Toph had worked out ahead of time. "Mom said we had to meet her back at sundown, remember?"

"In a minute," Toph said, rattling the dice in her hand. It was her throw. "Laang is a grumpy-goose and thinks he can win back his coins. I'm going to teach him a lesson." Then she grinned a shark-like smile to the man in question. Zuko saw him stiffen and reach for something under his shabby vest – most likely a knife.

Zuko grit his teeth. Toph was supposed to be playing the innocent blind girl with the incredible lucky-streak, not goading the others. "I _really_ think we should be leaving." He put a hand on her thin shoulder. "I don't think we should be late."

It was knocked away a second later. "I said in a minute!"

Zuko had enough. He grabbed Toph's wrist, fingers pressing into the tendons. Her hand flew open.

"Hey!" she said, but the dice were already released and rolling into the circle. They stopped, one landing on five, the other on two.

The men groaned again and Toph whooped in delight before the caller even had chance to announce, "Lucky seven!" and scooped the entire pot back to her, dumping handfuls of coins into a leather satchel.

Now the other gamblers were definitely muttering discontent between themselves and Zuko scoured them all with a dark glance as he shuffled Toph away.

"Did you bend those dice to do that the last time?" he asked, once he and the girl were out of earshot.

"Nope!" she grinned and punched him again in the shoulder, hard this time out of affection. "That was luck!"

He winced, rubbing at the spot. "I'm not usually… lucky. How much did you get?"

She shrugged. "Two bagfuls. Is that a lot?"

"I think so." He honestly didn't know. Money wasn't an object when he was growing up, and Uncle was the one who handled the coins when they traveled together in the Earth Kingdom. "The gold's worth more than silver and they're both better than copper or wood-chips – Ow! Stop hitting me!"

"I'm hungry." Toph raised her nose to the air and then grinned. "Food's that way! Race ya!"

"No wait!" But she was already gone.

Zuko cursed and took off after her. For having such short legs, Toph was surprisingly fast. He suspected she was using earthbending to cheat, though. Especially after the second time he almost tripped over an unseen rock. Toph played dirty, too, using her small form to weave in and around crowds where he couldn't go. She was cackling with laughter, calling insults back and delighting in the chase.

Zuko tried to be horrified, tried to be annoyed – what use was passing her off as a helpless blind girl if she was darting around like a fully sighted person? – but ducking in and around people, tents, almost tripping, recovering, and getting close enough to snatch at the girl and miss only to have her peel away again – he found he was laughing too, in Sokka's high obnoxious laugh. But that felt natural nowadays, or maybe he was just getting used to it.

He was still breathless, still grinning when he finally caught up to her. Toph had stopped in front of a cart full of roasted meats and was playing her act again to order the poor merchant around, pointing at random meats and asking in detail what they were.

Zuko stepped in and ordered a few links of spicy sausage for himself and a kabob of more mildly flavored pig-beef for Toph. They sat under the shade of a nearby tree to eat – silent for a bit. It was the first decent meal they had eaten in days.

"Sokka?"

"Hmm?"

"The guys at the dice game – they didn't believe you when you called me your sister."

Zuko paused moment, using the excuse to swallow before he spoke. He looked at her small, delicate hands for a moment. Her skin was as pale as milk. His had been a shade or two lighter, at one time, but not anymore. "I guess we don't look much alike."

She finished the last bit of her meal and flopped down on the grass, headless of dirtying her tunic. "Well then think of something else. Oh, I know!" she grinned sightlessly up at the sky. "I'll be Lady Bei Fong and you can just be my servant."

"I'm _not_ going to be your servant." Zuko scowled. "Why don't we just go as boyfriend and girlfriend or something?"

"I… uh, sure. I mean, if you want."

Her quiet, almost hesitant answer took her by surprise. He glanced over and then froze. A rosy blush had stained both of Toph's cheeks and spotted along her neck. Zuko looked away quickly, feeling his own face heat up, although he knew she couldn't see him. He hadn't meant anything by it, really.

But didn't matter because several things had suddenly fallen into place in his mind: the answer to the mystery behind some of Toph's strange, soft looks… and why she was always ready to forgive him when she was ready to pound anyone else into the dirt. Toph had a crush on Sokka – on him.

Monkey feathers.

Toph was the first to break the sudden uneasy silence between them – Specifically she sat up and punched him in the shoulder. Again. "I'm tired of sitting around. Let's go see if I can't win another bag of money from those guys, then we can go shopping for Twinkletoes and Sugarqueen."

"Ugh." Zuko rolled his eyes, but stood up anyway, primly brushing at his pants and tunic to brush off dead leaves. He _hated_ shopping.

* * *

**OOOOOOOOO**

**

* * *

**

It was child's play to win another bag of coins and soon the two were making the most of Toph's hard-earned cheated money. Much to Zuko's dismay, the shopping list seemed to go on and on. They bought bags of rice, dried meat, spare clothing in Earth Kingdom colors (Zuko wasn't sure how he felt about that. Blue… wasn't his color, but some of the green and brown robes brought other memories of teashops and despair) and herbs to promote healing, fabric for tents, and a new kettle for Katara.

Lastly, Toph insisted that they buy Appa a bushel of apples-plums for a treat.

The merchant's stall was a covered wagon with a heavy cloth pulled over the fruit. The hot evening still carried the scent of apple-plums, however, sweet and thick in the air. The merchant was an elderly woman, her eyes crinkling a little at Zuko in a smile. "It's so nice to see the Water Tribe on the move again," she said, as she handed him back his change; five copper pieces.

Zuko nodded to the woman and bent to scoop the bushel of apples under his free arm. Abruptly, the merchant's hand snatched out, quick as a rat-viper's strike, and closed about his wrist.

He jerked, nearly snapping, "_Don't touch me_!" The words nearly came, pressed up against the edge of his throat. It wasn't Zuko's good sense that made him choke them back at the last second, but the suddenly intense look in the woman's green eyes.

"Word is spreading from Ba Sing Se," she said, her voice pitched low. Still fixed in a false smile, her lips hardly moving at all. "The Avatar has fallen. You and yours have got to hide better than this, child."

Zuko froze. Somehow, this old woman had recognized Sokka's face, or Toph's. And if she had… others would have as well.

Her fingers tightened on his wrist to emphasize her warning, but the touch no longer repulsed him. He covered his hand over hers and gently eased it away, never breaking eye contact. "I know," he said.

"Thank you," Toph added. She was suddenly at his side, having sensed what was going on. She reached out over the five coppers, but took none. When she withdrew her hand, a shining gold piece sat on the pile: A reward for the warning, and a bribe to keep quiet.

The merchant scooped the coins back to herself, looking pleased.

"Come on, Toph," Zuko said, turning away. "I think we're done shopping for the day."

* * *

**OOOOOOOOO**

**

* * *

**

Appa was standing where they had left him that morning, although some of the nearby berry bushes had been stripped bare from his grazing. He gave a groaning greeting at their approach.

Zuko and Toph didn't waste any time loading him up. Wary of the merchant's warning, they worked in steady silence, choosing speed over conversation. And as soon as the last bag of rice was tossed up into the saddle, they both took up seats upon the bison's head; Zuko grabbed up the reins and called, "Yip yip!"

It only occurred to him a moment later how oddly familiar – and not odd – driving the bison had become.

"It can't be a coincidence that people this far outside of Ba Sing Se think that Aang's dead," Zuko said, at last, once Appa had lifted above the trees. "Azula and— Well, she must have made an announcement."

"Why would she do that?" Toph asked. She was clutching at his arm with strength borne out of fear of flying, her expression tight and closed. Zuko wished he knew a joke or something to lighten the mood, but it was too painful to think of Uncle's tea joke right then.

"They have us on the run," Toph added, "And if they know anything about waterbenders they gotta know Katara can heal."

"Because the Avatar gives people hope," he replied. "Azula knows that… Zuko's probably counting on it, too," he added, with a wince, knowing he was keeping nothing away by not mentioning _him_. "They're trying to take that away."

Toph made a very unladylike sound in the back of her throat. "So what now?"

"I don't know."

Her grip on his arm tightened painfully. Even tiny, she was so much stronger than the merchant woman. And, like the merchant's grip had been, this was a warming. "Well you'd better figure it out. You're supposed to be the man with a plan."

Zuko looked down at her, startled, but Toph was looking blindly out into the distance, her face betraying nothing.

Somehow, he wasn't all too sure he liked how she gripped his arm. As if she could read his pulse—his reactions.

"Ookaay," he said, slowly, and resisted the sudden urge to lean away from the little living lie detector. If Toph didn't have a grip on something, she could panic and fall. Besides, she was right. Even Uncle had always said that he didn't think ahead. They had been on the run, blindly, for days. And now it was past time for a plan.

Zuko let out a breath and lifted his free hand to rub at the bridge of his nose. "I know we've been on the move, but… we haven't seen any signs of pursuit. Believe me, if Azula wanted us, she could find us. It wouldn't matter how far we ran."

He half expected Toph to question that, but she didn't. She only nodded. "And you said that Prince Zuko guy chased you guys all the way to the North Pole. It sounds like they're both pretty determined to me."

"Uh, right," Zuko said quickly, aware that his cheeks were growing warm. "So… maybe Azula's not sending Dai Li after us because…" he trailed off for a moment. "If she really thinks Aang's dead, she wouldn't care about us. We're nothing to her."

But that still didn't make any sense. Aang _had_ been dead, for a few minutes, but Azula was cold and calculated, but never over-confident. She was perfect. Never leaving room for error. He was sure as fire was hot that she was playing at something, but he didn't know what.

_Azula always lies…_

"So… what do we do?" Toph asked, again.

The angry roil of his thoughts solidified at once. And suddenly, he had the answer. Or at least, part of it. Despite this borrowed body, his soul was that of a firebender. Zuko knew the power of a preemptive strike.

"News that the Avatar has died will only strengthen the Fire Nation's power, and weaken the Earth Kingdom determination. Azula will be welcomed back home – her home - as a hero, and because Zuko helped her... Fire Lord Ozai will probably reinstate Zuko back as crown prince." His fingers clutched so hard against Appa's reins, they nearly turned white. But he was smiling – a seething, cynical thing that didn't belong anywhere on Sokka's expressive face. "First, we get Aang back up and running. Then we let the world know that the Avatar has returned. We take that victory back from _him_."

Toph straightened at his side. "Him?"

"Fire Lord Ozai," Zuko quickly lied.

The muscle's in Toph's frame relaxed suddenly – he hadn't even realized how tensely she had held herself before. "Now you're talking sense, Sparky."

* * *

**OOOOOOOOO**

**

* * *

**

Katara was waiting for them as Zuko circled Appa to land. Her eyes were red rimmed, with fresh tear tracks visible down her cheeks and Zuko had only just enough time to think, _Oh no..._ before he slid down Appa's flank, the moment the beast's feet touched ground.

"Katara—" he said, dread clenching his heart. "What-?"

He stopped as she pulled him into a tight hug; her body was trembling. "Aang woke up," Katara breathed and when she pulled back she was smiling, tears again welling in her eyes. Tears of joy. "He woke up and… and I think he's going to be alright." And she reached over to pull a resisting Toph into a similar hug.

"He did? He is?" Zuko said, hardly daring to believe.

Toph managed to wiggle out of Katara's grasp and settled instead for a friendly knock on her shoulder – nothing nearly as hard as she did with him, Zuko noted sourly.

"Ha! I told you he'd come around, Sugarqueen."

"He was only awake for a few minutes," Katara said. "He's resting now, but…"

"He'll be okay," Zuko finished for her.

She gave a shaky nod. "Yeah." And the sheer relief in that single word could have almost spoken for them all. Zuko found himself grinning, almost laughing in sudden, shocking relief.

Everything was going to be okay.

* * *

**OOOOOOOOO**

**

* * *

**

Sokka had only meant to rest his eyes for a minute, but when he opened them again the light had all become shifted and slanted; sunlit beams fell down upon him between leaves of the fruit tree.

He blinked in surprise, glanced around and saw Mai still sitting there, by his side as if she had never left. She was peeling what looked to be a plum-apple with one slender, wickedly sharp knife; the skin curling into one neat ring.

"How long was I out?" Sokka asked.

Mai didn't spare him a glance. "Hours." The knife flashed and she cut a thin slice onto the blade. "Do you want a slice?"

Sokka's stomach growled, telling him that he hadn't eaten enough breakfast to satisfy his body's needs after running around all last night. He sat up, wincing at sore muscles, and carefully reached for the fruit. Their gazes met.

She had pretty eyes, he noticed, not for the first time. Dark and alluring. Sokka's mouth went suddenly dry, but he didn't dare look away. "Thank you," he muttered. "Um, for earlier?"

"You already thanked me," she said. But she was still watching him, as if expectant. Waiting.

The corner of his mouth quirked up. "Oh yeah… cell was too dingy. Right." His reaching fingers missed the plum-apple slice completely – found the back of her hand and stayed there. Mai's skin was soft under his slightly roughed hands.

The fruit and the knife dropped. Both moved at the same time. Their lips met.

And neither found their way from under the tree for quite some time.

* * *

**OOOOOOOOO**

**

* * *

**

Zuko lurched out of a dream in a nearly mindless panic, thrashing, and only came fully awake when his foot struck against something hard – one of the stones Toph hadn't bent out of their earthen shelter.

"Sokka?"

Still panting, Zuko glanced around himself and saw Katara's shadowed outline, sitting watch at the mouth of the entrance. He had forgotten it was her night… he hadn't meant to sleep at all, but there was something about Sokka's metabolism that made him always want to fall asleep after a large meal. He hadn't remembered drifting off.

"Just a dream…" he muttered, thick and heavy, pushing long brown hair out of his eyes.

Katara nodded and glanced over, significantly at Aang. The little monk was fast asleep, still. Although now it was a more natural sleep, nothing like the unending deep unconsciousness than before. He had even joined them for dinner; all sore and wincing steps. Azula's lightening had really taken a toll on him.

"Was it about Dad?" Katara asked, softly.

Zuko shook his head again, brushing another stray hair out of his eyes. Then he stopped, stared down at Sokka's tanned hands.

That had been part of the dream: The old merchant who had warned him and Toph. She'd grabbed his wrist and told him something… something important. Zuko had been unable to understand her in the dream and no matter how much he'd tried to get free… He had been trapped: struggling to swim out under tons and tons of smashed wood and canvass from Hakoda's ships…

_It's so nice to see the Water Tribe on the move again… You and yours have got to hide better than this, child…_

Zuko looked up, his blue eyes shocked. "I was wrong – She wasn't talking about Aang."

Katara frowned. "What?"

"It's the old woman." Zuko said, wiggling free of his sleeping bag to stand up in growing excitement. "She saw me and thought I was Water Tribe, but she must have seen them before. Don't you see?"

Katara stared at him for a moment, then suspiciously in the now empty stew-pot. "Sokka… Have you been picking wild mushrooms again?"

"No! Look." Zuko forced himself to take a deep breath and tried his best to string together bits of logic into one cohesive thought. "Toph and I told you about the old woman at the market, right?" He waited for her nod to continue. "I _assumed_ she was warning us off because she had heard Azula was looking for the Avatar… but I just realized she said something about the Water Tribe first."

"You think…" Katara trailed off, frowning in confusion. Then her eyes widened as it finally clicked. "So you think she's talked to others from the Water Tribe?"

"We didn't see any bodies in wreckage of those ships." He confirmed. "Not one. I thought they were captured by the Fire Nation, but what if some of the men got away?"

Katara's hand suddenly covered his own. Zuko jerked back nearly on instinct, but her grip was tight with excitement. "Do you really think so, Sokka?"

He nodded. "Yeah, I do. And I think we should go back to see that merchant again—tomorrow, if we can. She may know where they went."

And behind them both, unseen, the slowly darkening embers of the cook fire sparked briefly into flame before flickering out and dying once more.

* * *

**OOOOOOOOO**


	15. Unravel

**Notes: It's the beginning of the end, guys! Are you excited? I'm excited. :D**

* * *

**OOOOOOOOO**

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* * *

**

_Previously on In His Shoes..._

.

.

.

"You can come with us," Hakoda said. "Whatever is in your past, me and my men will not hold it against you."

The masked man turned, and Hakoda wished he could see some expression behind the blue oni's scowl. But the man finally broke his silence. His voice was roughened with emotion. "I can do more good back there." He paused, and took in a shaky half breath. "I sorta have… a lot to make up for."

"We owe you a debt."

The man snorted softly, an unhappy sound, and shook his head again. There was a pause as he dug around in his black jerkin and came back out with a folded piece of parchment. "If you see your son," he said, and Hakoda was sure he heard Prince Zuko's voice crack. "Give this to him."

"I will." Hakoda said, taking the parchment.

* * *

**OOOOOOOOO**

**

* * *

**

"What do you mean you don't know where she is?" Zuko growled.

The merchant he was speaking to simply shrugged one massive, rounded shoulder. "The old apple lady only comes around when she has something to sell. And she already sold everything, didn't she?" he said, then to Zuko's complete disgust, snorted deep in his throat and spat wetly on the ground.

Zuko felt his lip curl up and for the first time in some weeks, wondered how he could possibly pull rank with this peasant. People had _never_ dared spit in front of him when he was a prince— well, not that he could remember in the time before he was banished, at least.

Katara tugged on his arm. "Sokka, let's just go," she said, sounding about as grossed out as he felt.

The reminder of his name - his new name, he supposed– mollified him slightly, and he allowed the Water Tribe girl to pull him away, out of the small village square all together.

It was several mornings after Zuko's had his dream: he had initially wanted to track down the old woman immediately and ask if she had indeed seen the Water Tribe, but Katara had been adamant that she come along as well. And then, she insisted on waiting until she was certain Aang would be okay on his own for awhile.

The little monk was still weak and pained when he moved around too quickly, but after a few days awake he was cracking smiles and eating regularly.

Still, the delay might have cost them their only good lead on if any members of the Southern Water Tribe men were still alive.

Zuko cast Katara a sideways glance, trying to figure out why she didn't seem upset. Maybe she just didn't like admitting she was wrong, that it had been a mistake to wait. Katara could be like Azula in that way.

"She has to be around here somewhere," Zuko muttered. "We should ask around some more, maybe use some of Toph's money as a bribe." He had, after all, tracked the Avatar across the world. Surely he would be able to locate on mysterious old merchant lady.

Katara, however, simply shook her head. "I was thinking... you know what Dad always used to tell us if we got lost?"

Of course Zuko didn't. "Uh," he said, seizing upon the first thing he could think of, "Don't eat yellow snow?"

"No! You know," Katara prompted, at his blank look. "About the strength of the Water Tribe." He shook his head and she scowled, "Dad always said that strength could be found in the water, remember?"

"But... none of them are benders."

The look Katara gave him was so surprised that Zuko knew at once he had made a misstep, but he couldn't take it back now.

"You know none of that mattered, Sokka," Katara said, quietly. Firmly. "Not to him."

_What are we talking about?_ Zuko thought, wildly, but nodded anyway as if he understood. Katara still searched him with a long, eerily penetrating gaze before she shrugged and took the lead again, following the path to the field where they had left Appa.

Still wary, he let her take Appa's reigns and kept his council as she directed the giant bison up into the sky and back towards the direction of Ba Sing Se.

Inwardly, Zuko knew that anyone who held their own against the might of the Fire Nation Army, as Hakoda and his men had, probably knew how to run and hide very well. If they wanted any chance at outwitting Azula's forces, they'd already be far, far away.

But Katara only set her jaw and angled Appa towards a wide-mouthed river, set in the distance: one that drained away from Lake Laogai.

Zuko was trying to figure out how to best tell her that this was pointless when he suddenly spotted a curl of smoke drifting up against the sky.

"There!" he called, pointing.

Appa groaned as Katara flicked the reigns. They crested over the next rise and then... along the banks of the river, Zuko saw them.

Men. Dozens of them were camped alongside the water. Some were casting out rough-woven nets, some tended to cook-fires or worked cutting and reshaping timber.

And every last one of them wore blue.

Appa dipped closer, looking for a place to land. Zuko spied a familiar upturned face among the strangers. It was Hakoda.

They had found the Water Tribe.

Appa landed among men already running up to greet them. Hakoda was first there, scaled Appa's massive head in a single leap and pulled both Zuko and Katara into an embrace.

Zuko knew he shouldn't have really allowed: this wasn't truly his father and Sokka was - had been - nearly a man. But... he couldn't bring himself to pull away.

"This is amazing!" Katara said, when she could, tears streaming silently down her face. "We thought - we saw what was left of the ships and you were all gone. What happened?"

Hakoda's wide grin slipped a little. He hesitated before he answered. Some of the men grouped around them looked away.

"We had some help. I'll tell you about it later, when it's time," Hakoda said, then slapped Zuko's shoulder heartily. "Come, let me show you what we've been up to."

* * *

**OOOOOOOOO**

**

* * *

**

Sokka nodded to the Dai Li guards as they stepped aside from the cell-door and let him in. It took some maneuvering to close the door behind himself with a tray in hand. Luckily, he'd had lots of practice working in the tea-shop.

Iroh sat on the bare floor in the middle of the small, dark cell, his back to Sokka, not reacting at all.

Sokka took a deep breath and then stepped forward, feeling the familiar clenching in his gut: the almost overwhelming sense of guilt returning anew. Being with Mai had helped him almost forget for a time, but seeing Iroh again— imprisoned and possibly waiting a death sentence back at the Fire Nation all because Sokka had failed, drove it back home.

"I brought you breakfast," he said, and knelt to slide the tray under small gap between bars and floor.

Iroh did not react, did not move. This wasn't unusual. He hadn't so much as looked at Sokka since the day in the crystal caves nearly three weeks ago.

"I thought I should tell you," Sokka said, after an awkward moment, "We're getting out of here— er—, I mean Azula is shipping us back to the Fire Nation. All of us. We're going together." The silence was oppressive, and Sokka sighed, running a hand through his hair. It was getting long, he noticed, not for the first time. Zuko's hair grew fast.

He was about to turn away and get out of there, return to the refuge of a bright sunny day when Iroh suddenly, inexplicably, broke the silence.

"It is chilly in here, nephew. Would you mind lighting me a fire to keep warm?"

"What? Oh, uh, sure." Sokka walked to a nearby unlit torch, set well out of arms reach from behind the prison bars, and put his hand over it, concentrating. He searched for the warm spark within— whatever made a firebender a firebender - and brought it out with an exhaled breath.

Or at least, that was the idea.

It took Sokka three tries, three breaths to light a small flame. And even then it was a weak thing, flickering and in danger of going out until it caught the oil soaked straw of the torch.

Sokka thought he saw Iroh watching him out of the corner of his eye, but when he turned his head the old man still sat in the same spot, still looking away.

"Uncle Iroh?"

"Things are changing, Prince Zuko." Iroh's voice came out flat, as if he were speaking to the far wall.

It felt like the bottom dropped out of his stomach. "Wait... You-What?" he sputtered. "What do you mean?"

Did Iroh know? No, he couldn't have— he just called him Zuko, didn't he?

"My advice is to make sure you are ready," Iroh said, calmly. "For whatever is to come."

Sokka swallowed. "I don't understand."

"Be ready, nephew," Iroh repeated, and would not say more.

* * *

**OOOOOOOOO**

**

* * *

**

To Zuko's surprise Katara soon excused herself, saying that it would be best if she took Appa and brought back Aang and Toph as soon as possible. He would have thought, after not seeing her father for years, she would have wanted to stay longer than just a few minutes.

Zuko elected to stay. The Water Tribe men didn't have the resources, of course, to rebuild their sleek warships, but they could still manufacture weapons cut from wood: sharp spears, bows, arrows and simple canoes.

All hands were needed and as Appa and Katara rose into the sky, Zuko was asked to carry water up from the river to help with the night's stew.

The sun was glistening brightly upon the river and Zuko was just reflecting that he used to hate it when Uncle asked him to gather water, when he bent down to dip his bucket in and—

A pair of light golden eyes stared back at him from Sokka's tanned face.

Zuko lurched back, dropping the bucket and shattering the reflection.

He snatched it back out of the river and waited endless seconds for the water to still again and for his reflection to resolve.

Blue. His eyes were blue. He peeled down the lid of one eye just to be sure, but nothing looked out of the ordinary. Nothing changed. It must have been a mistake— a trick of light.

"Sokka!" someone called, waving at him from a distance. He thought the man was called Bato.

"Coming!" Zuko called back, and took one long last look at the river, Sokka's blue eyes, before he filled the bucket and went to join him.

* * *

**OOOOOOOOO**

**

* * *

**

As night fell and Appa returned with everyone aboard, the celebration kicked off in full. The Water Tribe didn't have much to them - they had been on the run for days it seemed – but they did have their lives. And as Katara had said, they seemed to draw strength from the river; or at least, food and basic supplies.

They ate a meal of baked guppy-salmon with some sort of river-weed which had an almost peppery flavor. A bonfire was started and Zuko sat with Aang, Toph, Katara, Hakoda, and the rest of the men as they passed stories around the fire.

In some ways it reminded him of his best memories of Ember Island, when he had been literally a different person.

Aang, thankfully, was happy to take over story-telling from their side. He still used his air glider as a crutch, but looked happy and more lively than he had since he woke up.

After awhile, Katara leaned over and asked, "You're being really quiet. Is everything alright?"

Zuko glanced at her in surprise. "What? I-I am?"

She shrugged. "I just thought you would want to be the one to tell our story."

_Because Sokka was a loud-mouth_, Zuko thought, and he was... well. Speech making had never been his talent. Zuko scowled in answer and tried to turn the question back on her. "Yeah, well... what about you?"

"Me?"

"You haven't talked to your dad more than once today. I thought you would be happy to see him?"

"I am!" Katara said, but her face was oddly flushed in the firelight.

"You aren't asking like it," Zuko accused, getting angry now. Katara didn't know how good she had it – she had a father who_ cared_ about her, one who actually wanted to see her. If Ozai had cared half as much as Hakoda did

But now Katara's face was definitely reddening. "You don't understand, Sokka!" she snapped, loud enough to be noticed by others.

Conversations around the fire stilled and it seemed like everyone was watching as Katara continued in a growl, "You _never_ understand!" and stood up, stomping away.

Zuko half-stood to go after her, but was stopped by Hakoda's voice.

"Let her be." The chieftain was sitting far enough away that he couldn't have heard the entire conversation, but from the suddenly aged look on his face Zuko was willing to guess he'd gotten the gist of it. "It's okay, Sokka," he said, and gestured for Aang to continue telling about Kyoshi Island. "There's something I need to speak with you about. Come with me."

His expression was serious and Zuko's stomach clenched, but he nodded and rose to his feet.

Hakoda led him away from the firelight, into the darkness where the noise of the conversations dimmed and was replaced by the chirping of night-bugs.

"I'm sorry," Zuko said, wanting this to be over with, and acutely aware that he had never had any type of close conversation with his father alone. He didn't know what to say. "I don't know what Katara's problem is..."

Hakoda let out a small huff of a laugh. "I think I do. She's... so very much like your mother."

He didn't elaborate any further, though, and led Zuko to the river, stopping on the bank and gazing out to the water for a time before he spoke again. "I didn't want to tell you this in front of your sister— I didn't want to worry her further or make her feel more guilty. But you should know the truth: we were captured by the Fire Nation. It was close and we nearly didn't get away."

"_What_?" Zuko stared at him, nearly speechless. "How did you escape?"

"We had help." Hakoda turned to face him, eyes glittering in the moonlight. "From someone I think you know." And from his tunic he withdrew what looked like a folded piece of parchment, sealed by unbroken candle-wax.

"He asked me to give this to you," Hakoda said, handing it over and then laying his hand once more on Zuko's shoulder. Pride in his voice. "I don't know what you did to persuade a Fire Nation prince to act on our behalf, but whatever it was, it worked. You have a good friend there, Sokka, and we're all indebted to him."

Then he left, heading back to the fire, leaving Zuko mute in shock and clutching a letter addressed to Sokka in his own handwriting.

The moon was bright behind him and gave enough light to see by as he tore open the letter with shaking hands. The message inside was short and terse, written in his own hand.

**SHE IS GOING TO KILL HIM.**

Zuko didn't need to wonder who "she" was. Azula, obviously, and that could only mean...

"Uncle," he breathed.

Zuko hardly knew what happened next. Everything seemed to collapse and fall inward, as if he were waiting for this point and hadn't known it. This moment. As if every worry he'd had in the last few weeks: Aang's health, Katara's weird reluctance towards Hokoda, Toph's crush on Sokka, how they were going to survive, what they were going to do next, and a million others – all of it fell away, leaving only one thought.

Azula was going to kill his uncle.

His feet were moving before he was even aware. He ghosted, silent like the Blue Spirit he once was, towards Appa. The bison trusted him and Zuko had driven him too many times for this to be unusual. He didn't give a complaint as Zuko climbed on a flicked the reigns.

Everyone was grouped around the fire. They'd never know until he left.

He didn't look back once as he guided Appa towards Ba Sing Se.

* * *

**OOOOOOOOO**


	16. Alliance

**Notes**: Happy New Year! :D

**Notes2:** Did you know that this website sticks words together if they're italicized? I didn't. This chapter should be fixed now!

* * *

Never before had the moon looked so cold and alien - sitting only as a thin slice in the sky. Sokka gazed up at it. It seemed like ever since he had been brought back in Zuko's body, he kept hoping that looking at the moon would help him to feel better. It didn't.

Tomorrow, he would be boarding a ship to the Fire Nation.

A cold shiver passed through him and he hugged his arms against his chest. He knew he could do that breathing-thing with the fire to warm himself up, but this cold wasn't from the outside.

_What do I do?_ He thought, gazing up at the razor-thin moon and remembering the brave face of the girl with the white hair and blue eyes. Yue had died for the sake of her people, and a cynical part of him wondered if he was going to end up the same. How could he hope to fool them all with his firebending acting all wonky? He was going to meet the Fire Lord, wearing his son's face, but... what if they put him to the test somehow?

Sokka let out a long sigh, resting his chin on the railing. What if Fire Lord Ozai wanted to talk about 'old times'? What would he do then?

He glanced back up at the moon, then did a double-take. There was a speck of movement along Yue's face, and for a moment Sokka thought that he was looking at a distant cat-owl ghosting after it's prey, or hey, maybe a rare flying lemur.

But the speck wasn't just moving across the crescent of the moon. It was getting bigger.

Within a few moments, Sokka was standing straight up and staring out at the night sky, his golden eyes wide with shock. He knew that shape – six legs and a flat tail – he _knew _it.

"Appa?" It came as a harsh whisper and Sokka's heart was suddenly pounding hard as he clutched the rail. He almost didn't want to blink, afraid if he did that Appa would disappear like a figment of his imagination.

Appa didn't go anywhere but closer, sweeping low over the top of the former Earth King's palace and circling once before landing in the gardens. A figure moved on Appa's head, dismounting to land lightly on the springy grass – and Sokka recognized _that_ shape, too.

* * *

**OOOO**

* * *

Sokka was never quite sure how he got down to the garden without being followed by the Dai Li guards – how Appa was able to fly in without being seen by other eyes at all, except that the night was dark with little moonlight and on the ground Appa's bulk blended in with garden's outlandish topiaries.

A hundred thoughts, questions ran through his head at the rapid pace of his stride – and he didn't notice how the torches he passed all flared up and died to coals in his wake.

Why had _he _come? Why now? Why alone? The message Sokka had sent with his father had been a slim shot at best.

And above everything else, Sokka thought about how Uncle Iroh had told him, "Things are changing, Prince Zuko." And, "Be ready, nephew."

Sokka wasn't sure if he was ready or not. All he knew was that something was kindling in his chest – something that burned brighter than even his firebending. Maybe it was hope.

He slowed down as he hit the bottom of the stairs. The figure was waiting for him – a black statue in the darkness with some kind of broadsword strapped to his back. He resolved into color as Sokka drew closer and even though he was expecting it... seeing his own face glare back at him was still bizarre.

Zuko narrowed his bright blue eyes into slits. "Give me one good reason," he growled, reaching for the sword and unsheathing it. The metal glinted even in the moonlight. "One good reason why I shouldn't just kill you right now."

Sokka's mouth went dry, but he had pretty much expected this. "You know," he heard himself say. "I would be saying pretty much the same thing, if I was in your place."

Zuko scowled. "I can't believe you're joking at a time like this."

Sokka let out a long breath. He couldn't stand to see that ugly look on his own face – the anger and betrayal. But he kept his hands low and in a non-threatening position, trusting that Zuko wouldn't strike if he didn't put up a fight. If it was one thing he learned about the Fire Nation is was that they took their honor really seriously. "That's the difference between you and me. Jokes are all I have left."

"You're wrong," Zuko snapped. "You have _everything _I've tried so long to work for. Everyone thinks you helped bring the Avatar down. You can go home to the Fire Nation as a hero!"

Sokka clenched his fists. "Why would I want to go back to your stupid nation anyway? You seriously think I want—wait." He stopped short as the rest of Zuko's words registered. "You said everyone _thinks_I helped bring the Avatar down." Sokka stared at Zuko and again he felt that wild hope in his chest. "Is Aang...?" He couldn't bring himself to say it.

Zuko winced. He didn't say anything – he didn't have to. Sokka's face had always been a very expressive one.

Aang was alive.

Sokka's knees actually gave out and he sank to the soft grass. "I thought—when Azula did that lightening thing... I didn't even know you guys can do that. I didn't think anyone could survive..."

"He's in pretty bad shape," Zuko admitted grudgingly. But Sokka didn't care. He barked out a laugh, wiped his eyes with the back of his hand. He didn't honestly care if Zuko changed his mind and ran him through. Aang was alive. He and Katara and Toph would be all right...

"Where's Uncle?" Zuko demanded. "I got your note. Where is he?"

With an effort, Sokka pulled himself together. He knew he probably looked just as odd to Zuko as he did to himself – the ex0firebender probably wasn't used to seeing himself grinning. He got to his feet and nodded towards the palace.

"Follow me."

* * *

**OOOO**

* * *

Zuko followed Sokka as he ghosted quietly through the garden paths, wondering why he trusted him at all. Well, at least he trusted him about as far as his broadsword could reach.

He wasn't sure what to think anymore. He had flown Appa in, half-expecting a trap laid out for him, but willing to fight through and save Uncle anyway. When Sokka had shown up, it had only confirmed his suspicions.

But then he had let slip about Aang – it had been so stupid of him – and Sokka had acted... relived. Overwhelmed.

Despite his better judgment, Zuko could feel a seed of doubt taking root in his mind, doubled when he realized that the drive to come here – the all consuming urge to get to Ba Sing Se NOW and save Uncle, even if it meant stealing Aang's bison and leaving Hakoda and everyone in the middle of the night – had dissipated. He glanced up at the sliver of moon hanging in the sky and frowned.

What exactly was going on here?

Sokka held out his hand to stop and Zuko did, glancing about wearily. Thirty feet in front of them, a man in a wide brim hat and green robes patrolled a corridor. Sokka motioned to go back, and soon they were in another long hallway. The sheer maze of the place reminded Zuko starkly of the Fire Palace back home.

His heart clenched and he pushed the thought away. "Wait," he said, stopping mid-step.

Sokka glanced back at him, his remaining eyebrow knit in confusion. "What?"

"You were waiting for me, weren't you? You saw me and Appa fly in." Zuko accused. "You knew I would come. Tonight, I mean."

"What?" he asked, again.

Zuko shook his head, frustrated. He couldn't put it into words, but he had grown up with stories from the Fire Sages. He had felt an all consuming need to come here tonight, and now that it had waned he was starting to think that it had been something outside of himself, nudging him along.

But before he could verbalize any of it, there was a polite cough from behind him.

Both boys whipped around – and Zuko stared.

Lady Mai stood in the corridor before them.

_She's grown up, _he thought, dumbly, his mouth actually dropping open. And even though he knew that was a stupid thought – of course she grew up – he couldn't help but take her in. Her dark hair, her slim, strong poise...

... how she looked at Sokka, with just a hint of softness in her eyes.

"Mai," Sokka said, his voice going high in surprise. "I was, uh— I mean, we were... uh..."

She held up a hand. "Stop." Then she looked at Zuko – right at him – and frowned. "What is it with you and the Water Tribe, anyway?"

Zuko almost replied, but of course she had not been talking to him.

"Mai," Sokka said, stepping close to her. "He's here to help me get Uncle out. I hate to ask you, but—"

"You need a distraction, right?" she drawled, and then rolled her eyes. "Oh well. Normal boyfriend's are boring." Then, without further ado she swept past them both and walked back along the path they had come, back towards the Dai Li guard.

Zuko watched her go, feeling like he had been dunked in ice-water. _Boyfriend_?

"You and... Mai?" he hissed, once she had turned the corner and strode out of sight.

Sokka didn't quite meet his eye. "Well... you know how it is. She was there and, I was there..."

Zuko grit his teeth and his fingers tightened again on his broadsword. "You know that the Earthbender has a crush on you, right?" he blurted.

The other boy stared at him. "You didn't."

No, Zuko _didn't_, but that didn't stop him from raising his eyebrows at him, or enjoying the look of unease on Sokka's face. Good.

A shout echoed from somewhere off in the distance – Mai's distraction, no doubt. Sokka seemed to shake himself. "C'mon. Azula hand picked the Dai Li guard herself, and they're good. We won't have much time."

It turned out they were keeping Uncle down in one of the sub-levels – an area lit only by the barest flame torches, all set far out of reach for even the most skilled firebender. Sokka glanced over his shoulder at Zuko as he withdrew a set of keys from his robes and opened the door.

The door creaked open, throwing a shaft of light on the inside of the darkened room. And Zuko's mouth went dry as his uncle looked up at him, a slight smile on his weathered face.

"Nephew," he said. "At last, you have arrived."

* * *

**OOOO**


	17. The end of the beginning of the end

"Nephew," Iroh said. "At last, you have arrived."

Zuko's heart seemed to stutter in his chest at his uncle's words. He opened his mouth to say – he wasn't sure. How could he begin to describe any of this? This body?

"I trust your lady friend has distracted the Dai Li," Iroh continued and when Sokka nodded dumbly, Zuko realized Iroh had been speaking to him, not Zuko, all along. Of _course_.

A sour, bitter taste flooded his mouth and for the first time in some weeks, Zuko allowed himself a moment to deeply resent the body he was in. First Sokka had become a boyfriend to Mai, and now he had Iroh's affection, too...

"Yeah," Sokka said, answering Iroh, "But we won't have a lot of time. We need to get you out before Azula catches onto what's going on."

Iroh nodded and when he struggled to stand, his joints creaking, Zuko stepped forward. "I'll help you, sir."

"Very kind, young man," Iroh replied, and Zuko didn't miss the way his eyes twinkled as he gripped Zuko's tanned arm and helped him to his feet. He passed it off as the excitement for the escape.

The moon was still a thin sliver in the sky, but its light still seemed bright and clear as Sokka, Iroh and Zuko crept out of the sub levels and into the palace grounds. Even with the moonlight, there was little Sokka could see with Zuko's night blind eyes and he dared not try to kindle flame and draw attention to themselves.

Far out across the palace grounds he could hear the shouts of Dai Li. Sokka spared a moment to hope that Mai wasn't putting herself in danger. It was no use to rescue Iroh only to get herself locked up.

At last, over several harrowing moments, they came to the gardens. Sokka inhaled and smelled the scent of clean air, growing things, and musky bison – he would have never thought he'd missed that scent before. He had to swallow past a sudden lump in his throat before he spoke.

"The Avatar's bison is straight ahead," he said to Iroh. "Go with Sokka... the Avatar should keep you safe." Sure, he didn't think that Katara or Toph would welcome a General of the Fire Nation with open arms, but Aang had a soft heart. Besides... Iroh would be a good firebending teacher.

Iroh stopped in his tracks. He still held onto Zuko's arm for stability, but he let it drop as he turned to Sokka. "You are coming too, nephew."

Sokka shook his head even as he heard a renewed shout from one of the Dai Li – closer this time. He could feel the weight of his Dao swords on his back and knew that even though he wasn't a master, he had to help _somehow_. "I can't. Uncle, the Avatar will help you."

For once he and Zuko seemed to be in agreement. "We should go," Zuko said, tugging Iroh's arm towards the waiting bison.

But Iroh would not be moved. "You must come with us," he insisted. And then to Sokka's surprise he reached out, grabbing his arm in a strong grip. His eyes were bright and intense, the flame lit within. "This _cannot_ go on."

"What...?"

But Iroh looked up, pointedly, and Sokka and Zuko both followed his gaze. Up, towards the sliver of the moon, bright overhead. Almost too bright.

"The moon?" It was Zuko who spoke, almost in a hushed whisper. Sokka glanced at him in surprise and the other boy scowled. The expression looked strange on Sokka's face. Zuko shook his head.

"He's right, Un—General Iroh. You should come with me and Zuko has to help Lady Mai." He fixed Sokka with a direct look. "Don't you?"

But it was Iroh's gaze who held Sokka's attention. "You must come," he said once again. Then, lower. "The moon's power, her magic, wanes thin."

Sokka stared. Was Iroh saying... did he suspect...?

Zuko eyes widened and he shook his head. "No. His place—."

"I think," Iroh said quietly, turning to him, "That my nephew can decide his destiny for himself." Then he added in a firmer tone. "And I will not leave without him. Should he stay, so will I."

There was a definite shout from beyond – someone had spotted Appa. They had only seconds either to stand and fight, or flee. Sokka looked over into Zuko's blue eyes and saw the resentment there – resentment that he felt as well. This was wrong, this was all wrong...

... And leave Mai to face the Dai Li guards? The real Zuko would have _never_ done such a thing.

"Nephew," Iroh said to Sokka. "Your place was never in the Fire Nation. You know this."

He did.

"I'm coming with you two," he told Zuko.

* * *

**OOOO**

* * *

"Aang," Katara said for maybe the tenth time that day, "You need to get rest. I'm sure Sokka and Appa will be back soon."

"If they aren't back by sunup, I'm going to go out looking for him," Aang said. He looked so weak, his face shadowed. Katara's waterbending could do only so much to help restore the body and Aang was NOT doing himself any favors by fretting away the night.

Katara grit her teeth. She was going to _kill_ Sokka whenever he came back. What possessed him to run off in the middle of the night, anyway? Steal Appa? Didn't he realize how much Aang would worry about them both? No, of course not. He was a bone-headed, inconsiderate, _stupid_ boy.

... She really hoped he was okay.

"Katara's right." Hakoda walked up to where Katara, Aang and Toph were all lounging around the last of the night's celebratory bonfire – Toph busily picking mud out of her toes. "Son, you look like a stiff wind could knock you over."

Aang straightened at that, though everyone (even Toph) could see how hard he gripped his airstaff. He used it like a walking stick for support.

"I almost lost Appa once," he said firmly. "I can't do it again."

Katara sighed. "Aang—"

She was interrupted by the long, low blow of a arctic seal-yak horn. It was the signal for danger from the lookouts. Everyone tensed and then there was a call from Bato from across the encampment. "To the east!"

In the false light of dawn, there was a small figure in the sky. A figure that grew larger as it came closer. Despite how angry she was with her brother, Katara found her face breaking out into a smile. "There they are. I said they would be back." Her smile faded, though as Appa overshot the camp, flying low, and kept going, disappearing again over the far line of trees.

She exchanged a look with Aang. Did Sokka miss the camp somehow? That was impossible. He was a great tracker and from the air the remaining Water Tribe men and the bonfire would have been visible.

"Come on," Aang said, straightening with a determined expression on his face. He limped in the direction Appa had gone. "They went this way."

As they entered the wooded forest in search for where Appa had landed, the sun broke over the horizon.

* * *

**OOOO**

* * *

Appa allowed them on board without more than a sniff in Sokka's direction. Iroh nearly collapsed upon the beast's wide back, but was able to fall into what looked like a deep slumber without so much as a saddle to grip onto.

It all worried Zuko. His uncle looked so thin. What had Sokka been up to while in his body? What had he even done, other than get together with Mai and put himself into Azula's good graces?

... And then on top of that, Sokka had thrown it all away, his chance at returning to the Fire Nation and ruling in Zuko's place. Why? What was his angle? Was it all a trick? Zuko wouldn't put it past him. Not after what had happened in the crystal caves.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" Sokka grumbled, rubbing at his good eye.

"You never should have left Mai," Zuko said, low an angry. "She risked everything to give us time to rescue Uncle and... you just left her!"

Sokka looked away, his lips pressing into a thin line. "Your uncle was right. I couldn't stay there or go to the Fire Nation. It wasn't my place."

"Well it's not mine either!" Zuko snapped, mentally adding, _Not anymore_. He scowled at the other boy. "You're crazy if you think I'm going to let you near Aang again after what you did. You betrayed us all. You betrayed yourself. You have no honor."

Sokka jerked his head back as if he had been slapped. "I didn't know Azula could do that freaky thing with lightning! How was I-"

But Zuko wasn't listening. He didn't care what Sokka had to say. He gripped Appa's reigns so hard his hands seemed to _burn_ with warmth. And there was a curious sensation buzzing in the back of his head...

"-And what about you?" Sokka continued, narrowing his golden eyes. "What were you up to all this time? You've had weeks to get prepared for the Day of Black Sun."

"We are not going to invade the Fire Nation," Zuko growled. "And I was busy trying to keep Aang alive!"

"I already told you-"

Their bickering was interrupted as the sun broke over the horizon - somehow searingly bright. Both boys put their hands up to shield their eyes.

And at that moment Zuko could swear he felt his energy flare within, like fire. But... what was impossible? Right?

Sokka suddenly pointed downwards. "There they are!" The Water Tribe encampment was visible below in the early dawn light. Sokka reached for the reins, but Zuko flicked them away.

"Hey!" Sokka said, and Zuko heard his voice crack on the word. But Zuko's own voice had settled last summer... Sokka's voice was the one still cracking when he got excited.

Sokka reached for the reins again, but Zuko pushed him off. "No!" And without any direction, Appa sailed over the encampment and kept going.

Something was stirring deep in Zuko's blood. He would have said it was his inner flame, but he didn't have one. Not in this body. But the need to fight, the feral aggression... that was something he knew well as a firebender and no matter how insane it was, he felt it once again kindle in his blood not of his own volition.

He caught sight of Sokka's annoyed face and... was that a flash of blue he saw in his eyes?

Uncle's words came back to Zuko again - the magic growing weak and thin. His gaze went up to the rising sun and the setting moon occupying the same horizon. And at once he thought he understood.

"This needs to end," he said as he directed Appa to a clearing not too far from the encampment. "Sokka... this needs to end as it started. We can't go on like this."

He saw understanding in Sokka's face, and the anger reflected there - a need for a fight that started those months ago outside the restaurant in Ba Sing Se.

"Fine by me," Sokka said, flippant as if he was his usual self, but with an aggression that was all fire bender.

When Appa landed, both boys leaped down. Sokka took his dao swords and tossed them to Zuko. Zuko, in turn, grabbed his broadsword and threw it to Sokka.

Neither had forgotten what had landed in this mess, but the pull and the fading magic was inescapable. The two boys locked gazes and nodded once.

Then they set about finishing what they had started.

* * *

**OOOO**

* * *

Toph paused for a moment, toes flexing into the soil. Suddenly her head snapped to the right. She jabbed a finger. "That way! It sounds like he's fighting," she paused, her blank green eyes going wide. "Sugar queen. Sokka... it feels like there are two of him, and they're..." She trailed off a blinked. "Fighting?"

"What?" Katara exchanged one panicked glance with her father. None of this made any sense.

But there was no time to wonder. Her brother was in trouble. She had to help.

Lifting one of Aang's thin arms over her shoulder, she helped him hobble forward. He was gasping with each step, but the look on his face was resolute. Katara had always known that Aang had reserves of strength that no one else had — not in the Avatar sense, but something that had come from his own true spirit. He looked like he was drawing on them now. His hobbled pace didn't slow them up, and shortly Katara could hear the clang of steel against steel echoing through the jungle.

Hakoda drew forth his machete, and with two swipes later the thick vines parted. They looked into a clearing, and to a scene that none of them could imagine.

Sokka and Zuko were fighting, snarling at one another in between clashes and clangs of bright steel that drove sparks up into the sky. But at the same time it was plainly obvious that something was wrong. Something was off in their steps… Katara had never seen such hatred on her brother's face.

She had never seen Sokka use twin Dao swords like a master, either.

Her first instinct was to help him, and with her free hand she unflicked the cap of the water-skin pouch. She uncurled herself from under Aang's arm, and already her father was moving forward, machete ready to help… but both were stopped by the movement of a thick shadow, off to the side.

The shadow resolved itself a moment later to the form of Zuko's uncle. Katara tensed, but she remembered the old man stepping in front of her back on the cave of Ba Sing Se, drawing off Azula's fire. He had been an unexpected friend then, and that made her hesitate.

"You must not interfere," Iroh said, looking from Katara to Hakoda and back again. "This is a thing that must happen."

"What?" Hakoda barked and made a move to shove the old man aside, but was stopped by Aang's hand on his arm. The young Avatar looked at Iroh, curiously. One old spirit to another.

"What do you mean?"

Iroh stepped further into the light, and Katara caught the lines of pain across his face. He wanted to go in and stop the fight as well, but was holding himself back. "In my youth, I traveled to the Spirit World, and sometimes I can see the effects of their manipulations. My nephew and your friend have created within themselves a great unbalance. Now, it is resolving itself."

Another clash of steel, and Katara looked past Iroh to see her brother drive the Prince back with a furious attack, the twin blades almost too quick to see. Zuko seemed to be matching him step for step, a set and determined look on his face. Suddenly he jammed his broadsword into the knee-high grass between them. The sword came up, a small log speared upon its point. This he flipped at Sokka, causing him to nearly fall backwards in order to duck.

Zuko advanced, but Sokka swept his legs out under him and there was a moment's lull as both boys got to their feet again and faced one another, chests heaving; twin looks of hatred upon their faces.

"By the way, you're an insomniac," Zuko commented off handily, swinging his blade forward.

The boy Katara thought of as her brother caught the blade between the cross of his two swords and swept it aside. "What are you talking about?"

"I would kill for a good night's sleep. And you're colorblind," he added, with something that could almost be a grin.

Sokka snarled and twisted around, dodging another quick jab from the broadsword. "Well you're hungry _all the time_." He punctuated the last few words with slashes that caused the Prince to back up, deflecting sloppily. "Didn't they give you enough to eat in that snowy wasteland?"

Katara could feel Aang tense beside her. Her own mind was spinning, and the bended water from her pouch fell uselessly to the ground. What was going on?

Across the clearing, Sokka's blue eyes narrowed at his opponent. "At least I know the meaning of honor."

This seemed to hit a nerve. Instantly the cocky grin flashed off of Zuko's face and he came at Sokka with an attack so fierce he was briefly driven back. "I thought I was doing the right thing! She was going to kill your Uncle. I didn't know she was going to shoot Aang out of mid-air! You can't do lightening! How was I supposed to know she could?"

"You attacked your sister!"

"I was saving her from _your _sister! Don't blame me because Azula is crazy!"

Realization, horrible and true, was starting to dawn on Katara. The moment she thought of it, she tried pushing away. No… it was too insane… too unbelievable. She looked around, saw her friend's faces — the slightly open mouthed look on her father, and realized that they were coming to the same conclusion.

A hundred memories flashed in front of her eyes. Little bits and pieces over the recent weeks of things, oddities about her brother that hadn't quite made sense...

Meeting Iroh's golden eyes, the old man gave a single nod.

"You don't know how lucky you have it." Sokka said, in an echo of the lecture he had told Katara only yesterday. "You have a sister who loves you. You have friends, and a father—" he looked away for a moment, and Katara's breath caught in her throat, fully expecting Zuko (or was he Zuko?) to take advantage of it, but the Prince held back. "How could you give it up?"

They weren't fighting now. They were standing, not three feet apart, swords drawn, breathing heavily… but they weren't fighting.

"I never gave them up," said the boy with Zuko's face. "They're – They'll always be a part of me, but I had to stay where you were supposed to be to fix what I could. And…" he hesitated, swallowed and looked to Water Tribe blue eyes. "I _knew_ you would take care of them. You'd never give up, because that's the kind of jerk you are."

The Water Tribe boy smiled, a shy crooked smile that didn't belong anywhere on Sokka's face.

The wind seemed to change without changing at all. Both boys stiffened, suddenly realizing that they were not alone, and turned.

Katara's gaze flicked between Sokka's face and back again, and she knew behind her everyone was doing the same. She stepped forward, a hand reaching out… but she didn't know who to address. "Sokka?" she breathed, staring incredulously at the Fire Prince. Then her eyes swung back to her brother. "…Zuko?"

The sun shining nearly directly overhead flared suddenly, going from bright yellow to a hot orange. The meadow was suddenly bathed in bright orange light, and everyone threw their hands up against it, wincing…

And then everything dimmed again, but it was not normal because somehow, someway Zuko and Sokka had become injured. Sokka's body was slashed deep from collarbone to stomach. The boy next to him was bent double, groaning in pain and pressing in vein against a hole in his stomach which bubbled up blood…

Hakoda gasped and ran to catch Sokka before he hit the ground. "Sokka? You... you're the one who rescued us?" he asked, staring into the unfamiliar yellow eyes and receiving a shaky smile in return.

Iroh had gone unerringly for the boy in blue with no hesitation. He helped him down to the ground, pressing his hand against his chest as if to keep the blood in. But there was so much, and everywhere. Zuko was struggling to breathe. "Uncle… I…"

He shushed the boy with a look. "Zuko… I'm very, very proud of you."

Katara knelt down whipping a cool stream of water from her pack, but as she tried to press it to the boy in Hakoda's arm, it twisted away as if repelled. Desperate, she aimed the water for Zuko only to have the same thing happen. "What's going on?" Her voice broke on a near sob. She had never had her bending fail her like this. Never. "Why can't I heal them?"

Iroh looked away from his nephew to her, only for the briefest of moments. "It is the will of the spirits."

Zuko suddenly moved, nearly lurching out of his uncle's grasp, his bloodstained fingers closed on Sokka's arm. The boys looked at each other. Into each others eyes. Into their own eyes.

"It wasn't so bad… being you." Zuko's voice came in a rough whisper, a trickle of blood following his words out the corner of his mouth.

Sokka let out a breathless gasp, something close to a laugh. His lips moved, but the breath had left him. His fingers found their grip at Zuko's elbow, instead, Water Tribe style.

And both boys died there, next to their loved ones and friends, gripping one another.

"**NO.**"

The voice seemed to come from everywhere and nowhere at once. A hundred tones, a hundred voices speaking the same word.

Katara looked up to see Aang – his tattoos aglow in bright blue fire and his eyes stark white with the power from another world. The young monk walked between the two dead boys, all evidence of a limp gone. He sat, legs crossed meditation-style, and reached for Zuko and Sokka's joined hands.

_To be continued..._

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**Note:** I can practically hear you guys now. "But Aang got shot by Azula's lightning. He can't go into the Avatar State!" And that's true, but remember he was able to speak with spirits (his past lives) even with his chakra blocked...


	18. Between life and death

**Notes: Ever get done with a chapter and it ended up a lot shorter than you intended? Yeah...**

**Oh well. FINAL CHAPTER YOU GUYS!**

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Aang woke up.

He found himself white space, completely blank and without ground or sky. Confused, he looked down at his arms, the tattoos unglowing. He didn't think he was the spirit world. It didn't have the same... old feeling. Besides, Azula had struck him with lightening and blocked his seventh Chakra. He didn't even think he could _get_ to the spirit world anymore.

This was some place else.

"It is the place between life and death," a sweet, familiar voice said behind him.

Aang turned and broke out into a grin. "Yue!"

She smiled back, beautiful and serene as the day she exchanged her life to be the spirit of the moon. "Hello Aang. I've missed you."

Two other figures resolved into focus from behind her: Sokka and Zuko, slowly standing, feeling their whole, unbloodied bodies for damage.

"Hey-" Aang started to say as he stepped naturally over to greet Sokka. Then he stopped as the other boy looked up. It was his face, his body, but his eyes were bright gold. Prince Zuko stared out from Sokka's body.

"Oh man," the second boy said. He had Zuko's body, but here in this place between life and death he had Sokka's Water Tribe blue eyes. "Are we dead again? Aang, don't tell me you died too..."

"He's not dead," said Zuko. It had to be Zuko, Aang decided, because Sokka had never sounded that sharp and impatient. "He's the Avatar. He has a connection with the spirit world."

"Ohhhh. Right..."

"Okay," Aang said, looking from one to another. "Now I'm really confused. I know what my eyes are telling me, but... how is this even possible?" He looked closely at Zuko, feeling the realization hit for the first time of what this actually meant. All of the implications. "Hey wait, how long did you look like Sokka? You didn't try to capture me once!"

Zuko shrugged an answer, looking away as if embarrassed.

Yue coughed lightly, recapturing his attention. There was now an unfamiliar man standing at her side, resplendent in red and orange robes. Yue had the grace to look slightly abashed, but the man - Agni, though Aang didn't have time to question _how_ he knew - looked only mildly disdainful. Put out, as if he had better things to do.

"These two are our subjects to guide as we saw fit," the man said. "When they got into their ridiculous fight, cut short their own lives by way of their own prejudices, we felt it necessary to step in." He paused for a moment. "I had not... expected matters to turn out the way they did, or for the two of them to take on their roles so well."

"Well how often do you get permission to be an angry jerk?" Sokka asked lightly.

"It was only temporary magic," Yue said, with an apologetic glance towards Sokka and Zuko. "Eventually, it ran short. "

"That's not fair!" Zuko said, stepping forward. "I did what you said - I had taken my role by the Avatar's side. And Sokka..." A brief look of unhappiness crossed his face, but he visibly shook it off. "He did a better job as prince than I ever could. Then, just when things were setting back into order I felt compelled to..." he trailed off, cutting a glance at at Sokka.

Sokka had looked surprised at Zuko's compliment, but took up the thread. "We fought again, but I wasn't really even angry at him this time. It was like I_ had _to do it."

"The circle had to be completed," Yue said. "The balance restored."

Aang was supposed to be the one who knew all about balance, but listening to all of this made his head start to hurt.

He didn't know the whole story behind what had happened or even how long Zuko and Sokka... hadn't been Zuko and Sokka. And what did they mean by a fight? Had that happened when he was comatose after Azula shot him?

But he didn't care. Whatever that had happened, both of them were his friends. Even Zuko. But that wasn't as weird as it should have been.

"But you can change them back, right?" Aang asked the spirits.

They exchanged a glance among each other, but said nothing, and Aang felt his heart sink.

"Aang," Sokka said, stepping forward, suddenly grim. "I know I've made some mistakes-"

Zuko snorted.

"But I've seen some things since I've been this guy." He jerked a thumb in Zuko's direction. "I've been through even more. And... you have to learn firebending, buddy."

Aang winced, but Sokka went on with a crooked grin that looked so familiar and yet so wrong on Zuko's face. "I know, _I know_. It's a little scary with the flames and the heat and I still like swords better, but... Azula needs to be stopped." He looked grim. "Trust Iroh. He can teach you what you need to know. And Mai, if you can find her. She's really nice once you get past the tough exterior."

"Uncle doesn't know much about naval warfare," Zuko added. "But Hakoda does. Sokka's right: Azula and my father need to be stopped. I... can see that now. Learn from Uncle, but listen to the Chief and his men. They have some really ingenious ideas and," he swallowed, "take care of my Uncle, okay?"

Aang nodded and rubbed his eyes with the back of his arm. He knew a goodbye when he heard one. "I don't think I can do this without you - either of you," he said.

"Well, we sorta died twice," Sokka said, with a shrug and an attempt at a smile. "I don't think there's a third chance."

"Actually," Agni said. "The choice is up to you."

At once all eyes were upon him.

"What? But I thought if anyone found out- What do you mean?" Zuko demanded, his voice cracking on the last word.

The dignified spirit lifted a shoulder in reply. "You were told that you would be given a second chance, yes. I was pleased with the result." His brilliant golden eyes looked back and forth between Sokka and Zuko. "Yes, very pleased. You both had your stumbles, but neither gave up in the face of a challenge. Exactly what I expect from sons of fire."

"And brothers of the moon." Yue added, her own eyes shining with power. "Zuko... Sokka... You've come so far. I'm proud of you both."

"And so you are granted a choice, with the Avatar's permission." Agni nodded gravely to Aang. "Return to your mortal forms, or choose to move on, in honor."

"Return," Zuko said, nearly the second Agni finished.

"Yep, definitely," Sokka said, just as quick.

Again, there was that feeling that the great sun spirit was put out. "I would have preferred if you gave this more thought. Avatar?" Agni said.

It took a moment for Aang to realize that the great spirit was actually waiting for him. "Of course I want them back," he said, turning to bow respectfully towards Yue and Agni. "I... still don't know exactly what happened to cause all of this, but they both have friends and family who need them. I need them, and their wisdom."

"Then it is decided."

Both spirits smiled again. Agni placed his hand upon Zuko's forehead, Yue kissed Sokka's cheek and whispered something into his ear.

The world went white around them once more, and in that last moment of consciousness, Aang realized he wasn't even sure if they were returning to their original bodies or not. No one had even asked.

Well, the monks in the Air Temple had always said that this body on Earth was a temporary form. Maybe for Sokka and Zuko, it didn't matter anymore.

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**Notes: Epilogue coming soon... ;D**


	19. Epilogue

The air was warm and dry, the cat-birds were singing, Yue had risen mid-morning in all of her glory, and Sokka and Zuko were on a stroll through the lower rings of Ba Sing Se.

It had been nearly a year since either had been back. The war and the Fire Nation had both come and done, and there were still entire blocks which had been leveled on the day of Sozin's comet. But others stood, and the rebuilding had begun.

Occasionally either the Fire Lord and the celebrated warrior would pause and make a comment, share a memory about a particular place, before moving on.

"I remember this," Zuko said, stopping by a fountain. Once magnificent, it's walls had been smashed in on one side during the fighting. Now it stood dry with a crust of green algae staining the bottom.

Sokka nodded. "Jin mentioned something about it - you lit the lanterns with firebending?"

An almost soft smile passed over Zuko's scarred face. "Yeah." A pause. "Do you miss it? Firebending, I mean."

"With this baby?" Sokka patted the broadsword by his side. The same one Zuko had purchased a year and a lifetime ago. Under tutelage from Master Piandao, he'd gotten really good.

As they walked on, Sokka nudged Zuko's shoulder, friendly and companionable. "Do you miss being just a Water Tribe peasant?"

"You are son of the Chief, not a peasant," Zuko shot back with an almost proprietary tone. He started to shake his head, then shrugged. "No, except during long meetings with court ministers. I saw how Hakoda and his men plan. There are some things your people do right."

They turned another corner down a long residential street. Zuko slowed and looked a little wary. "You're sure about this?"

Sokka shrugged. "I did promise an explanation, even though it's a year coming." He gave his friend a sidelong glance "And it would be kinda hard to explain things without you. Plus, she's pretty. Maybe single?"

Zuko winced. Mai had been a sore spot for a long time between him and Sokka, even after they returned back to their bodies. There was a short breakup while Sokka fought the war and Mai had to wrap her head around the my-boyfriend-actually-belongs-in-another-body thing, but it seemed the relationship was back on.

Zuko couldn't object to it, but it was... weird to see Mai and Sokka together.

"Jin was really strong when we were in that prison cell," Sokka continued. "She helped me figure some things out even though she was put through a lot. The least I can do is explain why." Sokka threw an arm about Zuko's narrow shoulders, "Plus, she's pretty."

"You already said that," he grumped, but followed as Sokka walked on.

They had gotten her address from a guy who knew a guy who had heard a girl matching Jin's description lived in an apartment complex. Sokka was the one who knocked and then stood back, trying, and failing, not to look nervous.

The door opened and Zuko smelled a rush of Jasmine tea. For a moment he was back in old Pao's tea shop and then she was there, looking confused and then surprised. And Sokka was right, she was pretty.

"Sokka?" she asked, looking straight at Zuko. "This is... a surprise."

"Hey Jin." Sokka gave a one handed wave, grinning sheepishly and Jin's eyes darted to him, clearly not knowing who he was, and then looking even more confused. It was like those first few days after Sokka, Zuko and Aang all returned from the spirit world and no one seemed to know what to say or how to treat them.

"Uh, hi," Zuko said awkwardly. "It's been awhile?" he didn't mean for it to be a question, but somehow it was.

"Can we talk?" Sokka piped up.

Jin stared at him blankly for a moment, but seeing his honest earnestness and Zuko's sheepish smile must have won her over. "I just made some tea," she said, stepping back and inclining her head. "Why don't you two come in."

~ _Fin_ ~

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Thank you so much everyone, for reading through this fic! It's taken nearly 4 years to the day, but it's finally done. :D

**A couple of notes about this story:**

* The original title was called The Great Switch and that has been the name of the master file, saved through 3 computers.

* The idea for Another Brother came from chapter 8 when Sokka is telling Jin of his life back at the North Pole.

* The first line in the epilogue is almost identical to the first line of the fic.


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